


Don't Look So Blue

by sj_potato



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: & Tags Are Platonic Relationships, / Tags Are Romantic Relationships, Adding more as we go - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), And Lots of It, Been Playing Around w/ This Idea For Years, Bros Are The Best, But You're Gonna Have To, Consent Is Important Here Folks, Don't Wanna Leave Goat-Dad, Eventual Smut, Eventual Soul Bond, F/F, F/M, Fallen Humans - Freeform, Female Reader, Fluff, Goat Dad can be scary, Here we go, I Lied About The Slow Burn, Might be a slow burn, Protective Sans, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader's description is minimal, Sans knows more than he lets on, Tags Are Hard, Timeline Shenanigans, Welcome To The Happy Feels Corner, almost forgot that one, baby's first fic, but he's a sweetheart, cuz no, friendships, hopefully, protective Reader, sibling bonds, swap!sans won't be portrayed as a child, whoops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-07-15 11:27:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 46,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16062161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sj_potato/pseuds/sj_potato
Summary: We all know the drill. A human falls, they're coddled in the Ruins, and sent away to decide the fate of all monsters. More often than not, the human will risk their own safety for the chance to befriend their foes. Even if it means facing their own death.Oh, if only it was that easy this time, dear Reader.You see, you weren't the only one who fell.Your little brother came along for the tumble, and you'll be damned if you don't keep him safe.





	1. Start

**Author's Note:**

> Ah jeez, okay, here we go-
> 
> I've been following the Undertale fandom for years, reading so many fics that had so much love put into them that it's unbelievable, and I thought about creating a work of my own many times. I chickened out, like, a lot.
> 
> But this time, I wanna go through with this story,
> 
> YOUR story
> 
> Obviously, this is my first posted work, so constructive criticism is more than welcome.
> 
> That being said, let's get started.

Y'know, there's plenty of stuff to enjoy in life. 

Anyone with the barest semblance of common sense would utilize their ever-ticking time limit to do something productive.

Maybe they would take their dog on a walk, or perhaps reluctantly trudge off to their current place of work with a trademark slapped-on smile that they've perfected to get that one extra tip.

They could plan a day to meet up with an estranged friend or a terminally ill family member just to bask in their presence and reassure them that they matter, build upon budding friendships and plant new ones.

Or just do anything. Anything that warrants the precious moments that once used, can never be exchanged with a receipt in hand and a sheepish grin to the poor employee that has to deal with the same indecisive people day-in and day-out.

So why in the everloving hell are you hiking up a goddamn mountain trail in the snow?

Well, you had an answer, but perhaps it wasn't quite worth the painful sting on the tip of your nose and the numbness of your hands as they scrabbled for warmth in your hoodie pockets. You sigh and watch as the freezing breath slips away along with your previous surge of motivation. The crunching of snow halts as you pause, looking back on the sleepy town that lied below. Maybe you were a bit too rash to think this was a good idea. You mentally corrected yourself, you hadn't been thinking. You'd just been sitting in your apartment, curled up on the couch when you'd received a phone call that you hesitated to answer. Unfortunately, you knew the altercation probably couldn't have been avoided since letting the phone ring until the screen finally darkened would've just made things worse. Maybe your father didn't mean what he said...After all, he does have a track record for barking out some rather harsh sentiments in his emotionally unstable mindset.

Aside from your own denial-fueled thoughts, there's not much to distract you from hearing the sudden blood-curdling scream from off to your right. You nearly jump out of your socks and stare off into the direction it had come from, unable to process much besides your own trembling shudders and choppy breathing. The dark pine trees illuminated by nothing other than the reflective snowfall loom ominously as you find yourself unable to move. After a couple of minutes, your breathing slows and you begin to wonder if the terrifying cry had been nothing more than a cruel figment of your sleep-deprived mind.

Of course, that thought fucking hightails it right out of there when another agonizing wail pierces through the air.

Your eyes widen as your brain finally clicks that this was very serious. This is real. You break out into a sprint in the direction of the pain-filled screeches, momentarily forgetting the possibility of your own impending murder. You suck in heavy breaths as you glance around erratically, attempting to ignore the numbed burning of your legs to cry out.

"Hey! Hello?! Where are you?"

You nearly tumble face-first into the snow as your body reels back into a halt. Bracing yourself against an aged pine tree to catch your breath, your eyes trace around until they land on an all-too-familiar figure. Their frail frame trembles from the cold as they stare at you with teary eyes. Despite the numbing air, you can feel your expression morph into one of confusion.

"D-Dakota...? Bro, what in the actual hell are you doing out here?"

You stumble over to your little brother, carefully lifting his chin as you check him over for injuries. Finding none, you sigh in relief and give him a stern look.

"You should have stayed in the house."

At this, his once fearful look turns sheepish, avoiding your gaze by staring at a nearby rock as if it's the most interesting thing in the world as he rubs at his arm.

"I...I know. It's j-just that I heard you getting mad at dad and you two were arguing and when you left I g-got even more scared so I wanted to follow you and then I got l-lost and-and I thought-"

As he kept talking, his anxiety seemed to spike again and you cut off his rambling by pulling your short yet lanky brother into a warm embrace.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's alright bro...You're okay now. I just wanted to....clear my head for a bit. You know how Lee gets when he's mad..."

You feel his small nod against your shoulder. Yeah, he definitely knew. After all, it was difficult to forget years of being conditioned so much to your father’s poor decisions that the very mention of him sent Dakota into an anxiety attack. You let out a sigh. Your two siblings didn’t deserve any of this. It just….it wasn’t fair.

You take Dakota’s shoulders in a gentle grip and push him back enough to see his face. Normally, your brother was actually a very quiet person, so it had been a shock to realize that he was the one whose screams had echoed through the forest. The only other time he’d done anything like that was back when he slipped on black ice, breaking his arm against the cement. You squint your eyes at him.

“Not that I’m complaining, considering that it was the only reason I found you but….what was up with the banshee-screech?”

At this, your brother breaks away from your gaze, nervously rubbing at the back of his neck with a sheepish expression.

“I thought I saw a dog.”

The strangeness of the situation finally breaks you, letting out a snorting laugh. Unamused, Dakota crosses his arms as he glares at you. Finally getting a hold of yourself, your laughter dies down to a chuckle.

“It was a good thing you did, broseph; not all dogs are as nice as ours. Sorry about giving you a ‘ruff’ time.”

Dakota’s attempt to maintain his heated glare fails as you notice his mouth twitch upwards. Huffing, he pointedly turns away.

“You’re im’paw’sible to deal with.”

Alright, that one got a laugh out of you. It was bad, but you couldn’t help that swell of pride in your chest. Apparently, tormenting your brother every day in that summer you couldn’t find a job paid off. He’d begun telling jokes soon after, most of which were just drawn out ramblings that didn’t make any sense. 

Your punning apprentice perks up at your laughter, looking so goddamn happy with himself that you can’t help but smile warmly. Glancing upwards, you realize that it seems to be getting darker outside. Ah jeez, your mom was gonna be pissed if Dakota didn’t go home soon. 

“Alright, bro. It’s getting late and it’s freezing out here. What do you say we head back? I’ll drop you off at mom’s place.”

Dakota rubs at the green sleeves of his jacket, and it’s then that you finally notice how he was shaking rather violently. He clears his throat and squeaks out a rushed reply.

“Y-yeah, please. My sweatshirt is kinda thin…”

You take Dakota’s hand and start walking towards the base of the mountain. He returns the grip, thankful that at least one of his hands doesn’t feel like it’s gonna fall off. Snow continues to trickle from the treetops, weary branches creak under their own weight, and you hear your brother let out a long breath as the burdens on his shoulders felt a little less heavy.

Unfortunately, the calmness is short-lived. You fail to see the large root right in front of your foot. You forget that you’re still holding your brother’s hand in a tight grip as he gets dragged down with you. You don’t realize that you’re both falling into a hole until the thick snow covering it gives to your combined weight. You don’t think twice when you hold Dakota to your chest, shielding him from the impact. You won’t forget his shrill scream as you are both consumed by the darkness.

 

**Player One - Confirmed**

**Player Two - Confirmed**


	2. Fallen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this one's a little rushed and it probably shows.
> 
> For once I have a day off from work, so I'm gonna try to get as many of these out as I can. From tomorrow, updates might be a bit slow.

Screaming.

Darkness.

F a l l i n g .

God, this wasn’t how you wanted to die. In fact, being taken by gravity with nothing left but the anticipation of becoming a bloody smear on the ground was pretty damn close to the worst way to oblivion.

You tighten your hold on Dakota as he thrashes violently, forcing your back to keep facing the ground- _pleasejustalittlelongerhecan’tdielikethis-_

Turning your head over your shoulder, your eyes widen at the sight of the ever-expanding hole that seemed to be void of light. Snapping your head forward, you bury your tear-stained eyes into Dakota’s hair, tightly closing your eyes for the inevitable.

If you had looked a little closer, maybe you would have seen how the aching dark began to distort below you. 

Your body jerks as you and Dakota are forced to a stop by some unseen force. Before you can process what’s going on, you slip through and continue your descent, although much slower than before.

You slam into the ground back-first, pain exploding from every nerve ending in your spine as you scream out. Overwhelmed, your vision becomes filled with spots before fading out entirely.

\-------

 

It’s a beautiful day outside.

Leaves are falling, golden flower tea was brewing. On days like these, monsters like Asgore felt it was a lovely time for a walk.

The ancient goat-like monster took in a slow breath and released it with a calming sigh as he traversed the Ruins. Greeting every dweller of the Ruins with a kind smile, he hardly notices when some of the monsters who usually returned his greeting eagerly looked somewhat troubled. However, he does notice when the Whimsun twins scurry past him in a fright, seemingly in a hurry to be elsewhere. Asgore’s brow creases in worry for the skittish creatures. No matter how much they consciously avoid confrontation, they usually wouldn’t up and scamper off so quickly without reason. So why…?

His gaze darts to the direction the Whimsuns had fled from. A small group of Froggits were gathered in a circle, conversing with worried glances in the distance. Approaching them, Asgore clears his throat.

“Pardon me, but what seems to be the trouble?”

One Froggit, slightly larger than the others, steps forward and croaks.

“Your majesty-”

As the former King’s gaze hardens, Froggit hurriedly corrects itself.

“-Asgore, my daughter says she heard someone screaming deeper in the Ruins.”

Glancing towards the aforementioned Froggit, the first one continues.

“I’ve heard it as well, but we are uncertain of the best course of action.”

At this, the goat monster gives the Froggit a scrutinizing gaze.

“The ‘best course of action’ is to help, is it not? There could be a monster that is hurt-”

“Majesty, it came from the flowerbed…”

Freezing mid-rant, Asgore’s voice is silenced by the lump that forms in his throat. His eyes are wide with realization as they become glazed over in a sorrow he had hoped to forget. Dismissing the frog monster’s slip, Asgore brushes past the group of Froggit. His steps are increasingly hurried as he quickly navigates through the ‘defensive’ puzzles that now seem to be more burdensome than before.

This cannot be happening again. Why? Why did another human have to fall? Was this the universe’s cruel punishment for Asgore’s failure to protect his children?

The former King brushes away a stray tear as he nears the beginning of the Ruins. He takes the violet brick stairs down and past the centuries-old columns. Breezing through the next room, he briefly notes that the strange cat-dog monster is nowhere to be seen. Struck by a new fear, he nearly sprints to his destination in the hopes that he found the human before anything else did.

“My child! Are you-”

Once again, Asgore finds himself without words. On the bed of flowers that had bloomed from the grave of his second child, that had cushioned the fall of so many innocents, that _taunted him for being unable to protect those who pass through_ , lies an unconscious human; another smaller one looms over the larger one’s frame, shaking its shoulders as its frantic pleas fall upon deaf ears. Upon hearing a strange voice, the smaller human snaps its attention to Asgore. Their grayish-blue eyes widen with renewed terror. Hugging the torso of the larger human, they beg between hiccupping sobs for their companion to wake up.

The goat monster’s mind finally catches up with him, his Soul feeling as if it would shatter under the weight of his realization.

Two.

There are two humans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-
> 
> So.....what'd y'all think?
> 
> It'ssoshortIknow _I'msorry-_
> 
> I'm still trying to get the hang of this, y'know, writing this stuff down rather than just letting it play out in daydreams.


	3. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! That's another one done and ready to publish.
> 
> I just love writing Swap!Asgore so much, I have a feeling I'm not gonna stop anytime soon.
> 
> This might not be a good idea, since I have a tendency to stay up way too late on stuff like this and I have work tomorrow.
> 
> Heh, whoops.
> 
> Anyway, here's another chapter while I try to figure out what I'm even doing-

Bringing the humans back to Asgore’s home was….a challenge, to say the least.

The small human had been scared half to death. It wasn’t a shock, considering his beastly appearance, but it had still left him with a twinge of sadness. The human-a young boy, judging from his appearance- was holding onto his unconscious companion desperately, sobbing into their tattered jacket as they begged the goat monster to let them live. 

Heartbroken by the child’s pitiful cries, he approached the humans slowly, as if trying to calm a wounded animal. Asgore raised his furred hands halfway up in a placating gesture with a gentle smile. Not wanting to scare the boy any further, the goat monster kept his voice to a low rumble.

“You have nothing to fear, my child. You have fallen, correct?”

The human boy slowly lifted his head from the crook of his companion’s arm, looking at the bipedal monster with fearful wariness. He appears to debate with himself for a brief moment before offering a shaky nod in reply. Asgore’s smile lifted, showing the crinkles in the corners of his different-colored eyes. Good, the human was at least responding to him. While he was sure the human wouldn’t run, seeing as they could not possibly carry the weight of their companion, it was reassuring that the boy might see Asgore as a friend rather than a threat. Allowing his gaze to drift to the unconscious human, he took a moment to observe its condition.

You were undoubtedly a female, likely fully grown. Your breathing was haggard and a bit sporadic at times. Your hands twitched, face involuntarily scrunching up in pain. Long hair splayed out around your head, frizzy and tangled from the fall. Some of your hair was darker than the rest, reflecting the light from above as if it was wet. It took a moment, but Asgore soon realized that the reflective substance was blood. Your blood.

Looking back to the child, the goat monster cleared his throat.

“Ah, I apologize for my rudeness. I am Asgore, keeper of the Ruins. I come here every so often to check for any humans who have fallen.”

Asgore takes a small step forward, pausing when the small human flinches backwards. 

“It appears your friend is injured. If you would allow it, I will be more than happy to heal you both and provide you with a place to rest.”

The boy stares at the former King. The monster’s gentle expression gives him enough courage to eventually speak in a quiet murmur.

“....heal how?”

Delighted to hear the child speak, Asgore lets out a low chuckle.

“The answer to that would be magic, my child.”

Soon after, the small human conceded, though he still watched the goat monster’s movements with a wary expression as he lifted the injured woman into his furred arms. He was much larger than the two of you, allowing him to cradle your frame as if you were a sleeping toddler. Lifting his palm over the center of your chest, just above where your Soul would be, Asgore’s paw became encased with a comforting green glow. The human child watched in awe as your bruises began to fade, leaving only slight discoloration behind. 

The green mist faded away and the goat monster used his claw- good thing he filed those down yesterday- to gently move aside your hair, humming in satisfaction to see that the bleeding had stopped. The goat monster met the human child’s gaze.

“Alright, it is your turn now.”

\-------

 

To say that Dakota was conflicted would be an understatement.

You always told him to be cautious around strangers but…..he didn’t even know what category ‘Asgore’ fell into. Was he a stranger? A person? Animal? He kind of reminded him of a giant mountain ram, although he had hand-shaped paws instead of hooves and wore what looked like a purple gown with a strange symbol stitched into the front. When he first saw him, the goat monster’s beard looked sharp and threatening, like something out of a scary book, but now the golden whiskers look as soft as the rest of him. Fear can do a lot to how someone perceives things, he guessed. Dakota gazed into Asgore’s eyes for any sign of bad intent, but his blue and orange orbs only seemed to convey a desire to help. He couldn’t help but think that the eye thing was cool though. He’s heard you mention something like that before….hetero...coomia, maybe? Shoot, that didn’t sound right-

Dakota startles at the sound of Asgore’s rumbling chuckle and sees that the goat monster was still giving that kind smile, but it looked like it held a tinge of amusement. Oh, he was staring again, wasn’t he? Opting to avoid getting too lost in thought again, he takes a few slow steps forward until he has to look up to keep eye contact. God, this guy was huge. He begins to tremble with his spiking anxiety as the goat monster raises his palm to Dakota’s chest in the same spot he had done for you. The telltale glow of Asgore’s healing magic envelops his paw, which actually helped to calm Dakota, putting his fight-or-flight response to a more relaxed state. After a full minute, the monster seems to realize that the minor scrapes had still not vanished. He looks to Dakota’s eyes in concern.

“Child, may I check your Soul?”

Confused, Dakota offers a hesitant nod. Soul? What did he mean by-

Oh....

That.

Dakota stares with wide eyes as a heart-shaped...thing emerged from his chest. Asgore didn’t seem too surprised by the heart’s sudden appearance, instead letting out a sigh of relief.

“Ah, it appears you have a green Soul, my child. I was worried something may have been wrong.”

Dakota tears his gaze away from the glowing heart with difficulty, looking to Asgore for the answer to a thousand new questions.

“What….what does that mean?”

The goat monster chuckles.

“It means your personality is predominantly composed of Kindness; one of many traits a human Soul can possess. Just as Souls are, different magic is associated with different colors, therefore causing different effects. Since your Soul is green, it is not affected by magic of the same color. But do not worry, I have food with healing effects at my home, which you are more than welcome to indulge in.”

Unfortunately, that just raised even more questions. How many traits are there? Human Souls are a real thing?

...what color was your Soul?

Asgore shook his head with a smile from the sudden barrage of inquiries.

“Perhaps I can answer all of your wonderings at a later time, my child. For now, you and your companion require rest.”

The goat monster rises to a stand, now carrying your body with both arms. He turns and begins to walk at a slow enough pace for your brother to keep up.

“Come, I will guide you through the catacombs.”

Your brother hesitates for a moment, should he? After all, the monster had introduced himself already…..

“Dakota.”

Asgore pauses, looking back to the human child.

“Hmm?”

For the first time since finding the humans, the boy offers the goat monster a small but genuine smile.

“My name. It’s Dakota.”

\-------

 

Alright, Dakota will admit that this place was really fucking cool.

Having been obsessed with building contraptions from legos and everyday garbage, he was nearly bouncing with excitement from the moment he learned that monsters were fond of building puzzles. Every time they came across a new miracle of ingenius architectural skill, Dakota would insist that he learned everything about how it worked. The former King didn’t know everything, so he would simply offer ‘Magic’ whenever your brother asked a question that Asgore didn’t have the answer to.

After what Dakota could have sworn was only a few minutes, he and Asgore reached a small brick house. Shifting to cradle your still-unconscious form in one arm, the goat monster holds the door open for Dakota as they walk inside.

The only word your brother could find to accurately describe the home was….warm.

Asgore led Dakota through a well-lit hall, past a few potted golden flowers that looked like they had been diligently cared for. His mind briefly wanders to how your mother was never very good at gardening. She would buy new flowers every so often and forget to water them soon after.

A pang of sadness accompanies the thought of his mom. He missed her already….he wonders when you’ll both be able to go home.

Opening the door to a dusty children’s room, Asgore enters and gently lays you on one of the two beds, pulling the covers over your sleeping form. The goat monster is happy to see that you no longer appear to be in pain. You unconsciously pull the soft blanket closer, tucking your chin underneath it. Asgore’s smile softens. You may not be a child, but he cannot help the warm feeling in his Soul at the possibility of caring for you and Dakota here in the Ruins. Who knows, perhaps you would be the ones who stay…

He huffs to himself in bitter amusement. Even after so many times, he was still fool enough to hope that he could protect your Souls from the Queen of Monsters.

Asgore looks to the doorway where Dakota is still standing, seemingly lost in thought. Ah, right, the young boy still needed a bit of healing since the goat monster’s green magic proved useless. Pacing over to the doorway, he rests a paw on your brother’s shoulder.

“Come, I believe I still have some Monster Candy stowed away in the kitchen. How do you feel about tea?”

Looking into the room, Asgore’s gaze lands on your resting face, free of the troubles that lay beyond your dormant mind. He grips the doorknob, slowly easing it closed as to not disturb your rest.

This time, he will protect the humans under his care, and he will go to any means to make sure of that.


	4. Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what? You finally wake up.
> 
> I can't stop _pleasesendhelp-_

If you could, you probably would have slept a lot longer than a few hours. A sweet, almost floral aroma rouses you from your slumber as you roll over towards the source. Blearily peeking your eyes open, you take a minute to let your eyes adjust before your fuzzy vision makes out the image of a teacup on the nightstand. Mumbling incomprehensible words of confusion to no-one in particular, you attempt to sit up.

Nope. That plan goes right out the window as your tender back protests, forcing you to lay down again. What the hell happened? Why is your back so sore? Where is-

Sucking in a breath, your eyes widen in realization. Shit. Dakota, the fall, you two fell...to what should’ve been your death. 

_So how are you alive?_

There was no way it was a dream, it felt all too real to be mere imagination, and you were pretty damn sure that the soreness in your back was real. You let out a small huff as you sit back up again, forcing back the urge to lay down and never get up again. God, since when were your blankets this comfy….?

Glancing to your surroundings, you swear you could feel your heart stop as you frantically analyze your surroundings. This was not your room. Hell, it wasn’t even your mother’s guest bedroom. You….you’re in a stranger’s house, in a stranger’s bed, with no memory of anything beyond the fall.

The floral tea is all but forgotten as you stand up, rushing to the door and nearly throwing it open. You glance to your left. There are a couple of closed doors and a large mirror on the wall, but other than that, it’s a dead end. You choose to go right, walking by an ominous set of steps that might descend to a basement.

Yeah, no thanks, you’ll pass.

“Dakota? Where are you, bro?”

You enter what would be the living room, but you don’t go any further than the entryway. Eyes widening, you take in the sight before you. There’s your little brother- thankfully unharmed- sitting on the floor with his eyes glued to a children’s book. Next to his reading spot is a very large armchair.

_One with a very large beast occupying it._

Your brother glances from his book, eyes lighting up when he sees it’s you. He drops the book, allowing it to land with a heavy ‘thump’ as he gets up and practically runs to you. He throws his thin arms around you, holding on as tightly as he can.

“(Y/N), you scared me so bad! I was so worried, y-you fell and the-then you were bleeding and I should’ve never left h-home, I’m so sorry! It’s my fault you got hurt! It’s….it’s my fault...”

In any other circumstance, you probably would have hugged him back, reassuring him that you were both going to be okay.

But then the beast stood up, having set aside its own book.

Holy fuck, that thing was _real?!_

Grabbing your brother by the shoulders, you push him to stand behind your taller frame. 

“(Y/N)? What are you-?”

“Stay behind me, bro.”

Your quaking voice interrupted him as you widen your stance to block Dakota from the beast’s sight. The monster looks startled, his eyes flashing with something you can’t put your finger on as he cautiously raises a furred hand towards you.

“Human, let us be reasonable. I mean no harm, and I have a distinct hunch that you are incapable of hurting me.”

You’re not really paying attention to its words, your eyes darting between your brother and the beast. You jump a bit when your arm is grabbed, looking over to see Dakota holding onto your forearm with a pleading gaze.

“Sis, he’s not gonna hurt us. We’re still alive ‘cause of him. Mister Asgore is nice, I promise!”

Asgore? What kind of a name is that?

You take in a deep inhale, holding it for a moment before slowly releasing it. You’re still shaking a bit, but you offer your brother a withering smile.

“A-alright, broseph….I...I trust you.”

You hesitantly look over to the goat monster, squinting in slight confusion at the reminiscent, fanged smile on his face. His heterochromic orbs are glossed over as he huffs out a soft laugh. Your confusion must have been obvious since he explains himself.

“My apologies, it is always heartwarming to see the bonds between siblings. It just reminded me of someone..”

Asgore shakes his head a bit, and the glossy look is gone just as quickly as it appeared. He takes a few deliberately slowed steps forward, offering you a paw with a kind smile.

“Greetings, human. As was already established, I am Asgore, keeper of the Ruins. You and your brother are the first to have fallen in a very long time.”

You stare at his furred hand before putting out your own much smaller hand. He gently grips your hand in his own- holy shit you can’t even see past your _wrist_ anymore- and gives it a gentle shake. His size is intimidating, towering over you by at least three feet, but you put on what you hope is a friendly smile and not a painful grimace. He lets go of your hand and clasps his together in front of him.

“So….how did you enjoy your tea?”

Huh? What tea was he talking about-

Oh! Does he mean the floral stuff in the children’s bedroom? 

Oof, right, you left it.

Your smile becomes apologetic, if not a bit embarrassed, and you rub the back of your neck.

“R-right, the tea. It smelled lovely but I kinda….forgot about it..?”

Your response comes out more like a question, but Asgore understands and lets out an amused chuckle.

“It is alright, my child.”

Hold up. Is he calling you a kid? 

“It is understandable that your mind would be elsewhere in circumstances such as these.”

The goat monster glances over to your brother before returning his attention to you. You might have imagined it, but he almost looked...sad.

“I shall make a fresh kettle for the two of us. We have much to discuss.”

Your brother, perceptive as ever, picks up the book he had dropped, heading to the bedroom you’d woken up in. Upon hearing the door close, Asgore disappears into the kitchen. You let out a sigh and look around, noting that Asgore’s enormous chair is the only one in the room. Whatever, you won’t be picky. You sit down on the floor with crossed legs, picking at a loose seam on your worn jeans. The telltale whistling of the tea kettle fills the silence, and the goat monster returns, tray in hand. He sets it down on the table and pours a generous amount of tea into your respective cups.

It’s hard not to laugh when Asgore has to grip the little handle with the tips of his smoothed out claws.

You pick up the cup, reveling in how it warms your palms and take a tentative sip. You let out a surprised hum. Usually, you only drank citrus teas, but this was actually really good. After a few minutes of silence, the goat monster lets out a heavy sigh, putting down his emptied cup to rest on the tray. The way he stares through you sends an involuntary shiver down your spine.

“I shall cut to the chase. Back when I found you and your sibling, I took a glimpse of his Soul when my healing magic had no effect. In doing so, I was able to see his Stats as well.”

You open your mouth to ask just what the hell he was talking about, but Asgore raises a hand to stop you.

“I know you do not understand much about the Soul, how it works, but I must make sure of something. You are a human, an _adult_ human. Do not take this personally, it is merely a precaution after all your kind has taken from us. From me.”

Your throat feels dry despite the drink in your hand, which now feels chilled against your palms. You anxiously flex your fingers and clear your throat, almost certain that your voice would come out cracked.

“What do I need to do?”

The goat monster’s gaze loses a bit of its edge.

“Show me your Soul.”

You take a deep breath and set down your cold tea. You have no idea how to show your Soul, but you just want this over with.

“Okay…”

Needing no further persuasion, Asgore lifts his paw and a new light fills your vision.

_Oh._

Oh wow.

Gazing at the violet heart before you, you find yourself enraptured by its glow. It somehow feels...right, to finally see it; as if you’ve neglected its existence for far too long. You don’t realize that you’re reaching out to it until your pointer finger grazes its edge, causing an assortment of numbers to appear in your head.

**(Y/N)**

****

**LV 1  
** **HP 20/20**

 **AT 0  
** **DF 5 (7)  
** **EXP: 0  
** **NEXT: 10**

 **WEAPON: None  
** **ARMOR: Old Jacket**

**GOLD: 0**

The strange numbers fade away, leaving you to stare directly at Asgore, who is gazing at you with a pleased smile as your violet heart phases back into your chest. He leans forward and places a gentle hand on your head, as if he was proud. Releasing a small breath, his next few words leave you more emotional than you care to admit.

“Human, you have a good Soul. You have gone through many trials, just as others have, but you’ve taken it in stride. Your brother needs that. In order to live in peace, you must utilize your Perseverance for both your sakes.”

Asgore lets his furred hand return to his side. You scrub at your eyes, wiping away the tears as they try to escape. You don’t know why you’re crying- goddamn it, you _never_ cry in front of other people- but you soon devolve into quiet, choked sobs. Before you know it, the goat monster is lifting you into his lap as he rests in the armchair, running his gentle claws through your hair soothingly as your emotions continue to evade your control.

Soon after, you fall asleep in the elderly monster’s hold, surely having exhausted yourself. Asgore sighs through his nose. He would never tell you, but in order to judge someone’s Soul before a violent act has been committed, it is necessary to quite literally glimpse into the essential memories that solidified who you are. Unfortunately, that meant your Soul had to relive every joy as well as every sorrow associated with those memories.

Asgore stands with you cradled in his arms and pads down the hallway, tucking you back into the bed in the room of lost children.

You have been judged, and you have passed.

Now, Asgore needs to talk with a good friend of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooooooo 
> 
> I wonder who that could be


	5. Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, this one took a bit longer than I thought.

The steps creak under the weight of the goat monster, punctuating every step of his descent. The long, exaggeratingly empty hall feels cold, and it’s not because of what lies beyond the Ruins door. Asgore had hoped he wouldn’t need to resort to asking favors, but he could not take any risks in the matter.

When you were still resting from the initial fall, your brother had kept them both entertained, rambling about your shared life on the Surface. From the way he spoke, it was clear that Dakota had a close attachment to his mother. He had also mentioned a younger sister, though he did not linger on the topic for very long.

When Dakota had asked Asgore why he lived in the Ruins rather than on the surface, he had lied, saying that he preferred the quiet of the Underground.

He could not bring himself to tell the child about the Barrier.

Raising his hand in front of him, the goat monster rapped his large knuckles against the stone door.

‘Knock knock’

\-------

 

The orange hoodie-clad skeleton startled from his spot against the stone door, nearly dropping a lit cigarette from between his teeth. Chuckling, the skeleton replied.

“who’s there?”

A familiar voice rumbled from the other side.

“Bayleaf.”

The skeleton raised a browbone. This was a new one.

“bayleaf who?”

His mysterious door friend sounded somber in the line’s delivery.

“Would you bayleaf me if I said I was sorry for being away for so long, friend?”

Papyrus’ expression softened. Stars, it wasn’t easy to hear the old man this sad. He takes the cigarette stub out of his teeth, releasing the smoke through a long exhale as he tossed it away.

“all is forgiven, bud. you know how much i a-door to hear from ya.”

The old monster huffs out in amusement. Weird, that one usually got a belly-laugh out of him….Concerned, Papyrus can’t help the small frown.

“is everything alright, old man?”

A heavy sigh, filled with burden is heard from within the Ruins door.

“....I’m afraid I did not come here to only share jokes with you, my friend.”

Oh. Papyrus remembered this part. He reaches into his pocket, withdrawing another cigarette- or cancer stick, depending on which brother you asked- and placing it in his mouth without bothering to light it, allowing his sockets to drift shut.

“oh yeah? what’d ya need?”

Here it comes. Looks like Chara couldn’t stay away for long after all.

“I have two humans under my care-”

Before the old man could continue, Papyrus’ eyesockets shoot open as he chokes on his cigarette, coughing violently.

“Friend? Are you alright?”

Papyrus rubs at the vertebrae on his neck, clearing his throat. 

“y-yeah, m’fine. but uh…..could you repeat that?”

Starting from the beginning, his door friend proceeded to explain how he’d found two humans at the mouth of the Ruins, one of which with serious injuries upon impact. The old monster recalls one of the stories told by the small human, in which the two of you had gotten into a dragged out battle of japes and jokes in your younger age. Chuckling by the end of it, the old man smiles to himself.

“Dakota really is a sweet child. You should have seen how his face lit up as he learned of our culture, so eager for knowledge…”

Papyrus smiles at the old man’s fond tone, though it fades quickly. You weren’t just another human child, but an adult.

It wasn’t pleasant to think of what you may be capable of.

“and the other one? what do ya make of her?”

Paying close attention to his response, the skeleton was mildly surprised by the old man’s low murmur.

“Fear not, my friend. She is a well-mannered human, if not a bit guarded. Nevertheless, she has proven herself. After all, the Soul cannot lie.”

Papyrus huffs, slouching further against the door. From what he’s heard, it seems like the old man has already thoroughly prodded for your true intent, leaving little room for error. Whatever, he’ll trust the monster’s judgment. Less work for him.

“Friend, I must ask something of you.”

Well, looks like this part hasn’t changed.

“anything for a joke-buddy.”

“I...I am convinced that the humans will soon wish to leave. The boy has spoken of people who are awaiting them on the Surface. Please, if…. _when_ they come through this door, you must promise to protect them.”

Papyrus sighs. One human was hard enough, now he’s gotta babysit _two_ of them?

Ha, as if he did much in the first place.

“pal, you know i hate makin’ promises.”

_“Please.”_

The skeleton pauses at the desperation in his friend’s unsteady voice.

“They…..they are much too young to die. I cannot bear the thought that the Queen may take their Souls for her cowardly reasons.”

“....alright. i promise.”

\-------

 

You’re both falling again.

Dakota isn’t in your arms this time. 

You reach out, desperately trying to grab his thrashing form.

But he’s too far.

You both hit the ground, and somehow you’re conscious enough to open your eyes.

Red. Red red red redredred there’s _so much red-_

You drag yourself over to your brother, cradling his mangled body to your own.

He won’t open his eyes no matter how much you beg.

What kind of a sister are you? You swore to keep them both safe. How could you let this happen? How could you howcouldyou _howcouldyou-_

You cry out, but there is only silence.

 

Your eyes snap open as you wake in a cold sweat. Breathing heavily, you reach up to grip the hair on your head, yanking on it to ground yourself as you force back a sob.

Once you’re certain that you’re not going into a self-induced panic attack, you carefully sit up. Looking to the other side of the room, you find yourself staring at your brother’s sleeping form in the second bed, the slow rise and fall of his chest a reassurance that he’s alright. You reach up and wipe away a few stray tears with a deep breath. It’s okay. _He_ is okay. 

You stand up, padding over to your brother’s bedside. Dakota always had a tendency to tuck himself as far into the bed as possible so he’s practically pressed up against the wall, meaning a large portion of the bed was open space. You ease yourself to where you’re laying on your side, facing your sleeping brother. Weirdly enough, it seems he senses this change as he mumbles, opening one eye to look at you.

“Mmn…(Y/N)? Whassa matter…?”

You offer an attempt at a reassuring smile, but it doesn’t reach your eyes.

“Sorry, broseph. S’just….a bad dream. Kinda shaken up ‘bout it.”

Dakota scoots up to you- which doesn’t take much on the child sized bed- and wraps you up in his lanky hold.

“Remember when I used to get night terrors…?”

Yeah, you remember. Back when you all still lived with your father, it wasn’t uncommon to wake up to your brother’s heavy sobs. It was rather terrifying back then, knowing that there was so little you could do when Dakota began sleepwalking. You choose to keep those thoughts to yourself, instead opting to mention the lighter moments.

“Yeah. One time I found you crying because of a commercial for Disneyland.”

You can practically feel his eyeroll as he pokes your stomach.

“Can’t you let me live that down for once? I’m serious.”

You remain silent, but he seems unbothered by this as he continues.

“You were always the first to wake up, and you’d sit with me until I fell asleep again….I can do that for you too. I’m younger than you, but that doesn’t mean I’m a baby.”

You wince at that. Yeesh, have you been coddling him so much that he feels this way..?

Having been around his entire life, it was difficult to grasp that he was already twelve years old.

“Right...sorry, Kota.”

You feel him shrug.

“It’s okay, I guess. Just...let me be there for you like you are for me. I know you’re not as invincible as you like to act.”

There’s a familiar sting behind your eyes, but you’re able to ward them off this time. You let out a shaky sigh as you hug your brother tightly.

“Okay….you’re the best, broseph.”

Dakota huffs out a quiet laugh against your chest, and sleep soon claims you to a more restful slumber.

“I know.”

\-------

 

The next morning, a decision is made.

You found yourself attempting to alleviate your curiosity, rifling through the various book titles in Asgore’s collection as he and your brother conversed in the kitchen. Since learning about the uses of fire magic, Dakota was eager to ~~watch~~ help him make breakfast. You begin mumbling to yourself, relaying titles that piqued your interest.

“Let’s see here….Guide to the Soul, Monster Politics….Fluffy Bunny?”

Snorting at the last title, you shook your head and picked up a book merely labelled ‘Underground.’

Creative.

You had sat down with the thick book in your lap, flipping past the index to the first entry.

After all, spoilers weren’t any fun.

At first, you had begun to wonder if you’d accidentally stumbled upon a really long bedtime story. The entry relayed a tale of man and monster, who used to live in harmony on the Surface. Yeah, right, as if something like that could be forgotten so easily.

You weren’t surprised to learn that the humans had attacked first. It definitely follows historical trend. However, you _were_ stunned that the humans had won. The _humans?_ Seriously? You didn’t think the monsters would lie per se….but how the hell would a bunch of meat-bags defeat _magical_ beings? Especially those who came anywhere close to Asgore’s imposing stature.

Things didn’t end there.

Humans with unusual abilities- mages- had sealed the surviving monsters under the mountain, damning them from the sun’s light and the once shared sky unless they were to shatter the Barrier with the power of seven _harvested_ human Souls.

You didn’t like how the book used that word.

God, how could you be so stupid? No wonder Asgore lived in such a dreary cavern. He couldn’t leave, not by choice, but because there _was no way out._

If they were stuck, then so were you.

It is then that you realize, you and your brother need to leave.

_**Now.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it doesn't seem like I'm trying to evict y'all from the Ruins too fast-


	6. Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter is brought to you by shitty wifi.

Soon after your discovery, Asgore had entered the living room, ducking to prevent his horns from scraping the doorway.

Something about the prominent cuts in the wood tells you he learned this from trial and error.

He is holding a plate in each hand, Dakota following after him with a plate of his own. You quickly set aside the book, but the goat monster doesn’t miss how your face looks more pale than earlier. He leans down to hand you your dish and you take it with a grateful nod.

“Thank you, Asgore. This was very kind of you.”

The old monster waves you off with a jolly chuckle as he sits in his armchair.

“No need. What kind of a host would I be if I let two young ones starve?”

Your brother eagerly sits down next to you, digging into his quiche without hesitation. You stare incredulously as he practically inhales half the slice within a couple of forkfuls. Glancing over to you with stuffed cheeks, he sheepishly swallows.

“What? I was hungry…”

You shake your head as you offer a lopsided smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with that, bro. I’ve just never seen you so egg-cited about breakfast before.”

Dakota’s eyes narrow towards you. It looks like he’s taking the bait, emphasized when he stabs his fork into the top of his half-eaten meal.

“That one was fowl and you know it.”

Your devious grin widens. A bird pun, eh? You haven’t lost a back-and-forth like this with him yet, and you don’t plan to start today. You raise a hand to your chest, feigning a hurt expression.

“How could you do me like that, broseph? I crust-ed you.”

Asgore takes deep breaths so he doesn’t laugh around the monster-sized fork in his fanged mouth. Your brother spares the old monster a quick glance, and you already know what he’s about to pull. Maybe you should teach him how to use a poker face someday.

“You’ve goat to be kid-ding. There’s no mercy in pun wars.”

He looks so proud of himself right now. While it was impressive that he finally pulled off a two-in-one, you weren’t done yet.

“I’d hoof to disagree with you on that one. It’d be pretty baaaaaaad if I were to ram you out of the ring without even giving you a chance.”

Between your god-awful impression of goat noises and the way Dakota’s jaw drops, Asgore finally breaks. He covers his muzzle with one furry hand, but it doesn’t do much to muffle the bleating snorts that manage to escape. You three continue trading jokes throughout breakfast, and you actually ended up coughing on some of your eggs, but you’d say it was a good way to spend the morning.

However, you weren’t in as joyful of a mood after you’d all cleaned up. By the way the goat monster looks over to you, it’s clear that you two are due for another chat. Hopefully it wouldn’t be as nerve-wracking as last time, but you needed answers.

Asgore tells Dakota about a great spot for snail-hunting that’s right in front of the house. While he looked skeptical, your brother reluctantly obliged and headed outside to the tree’s leaf pile. Once he was outside, the goat monster’s plastered on smile slowly faded as he let out a sigh. You watch as Asgore pads over to where you had discarded the book, carefully picking it up from the floor. His orbs gaze at the aged cover with a rueful expression, placing it back into its rightful spot on the shelf before looking over his shoulder towards you.

“I suppose now is the time to come clean. To….tell you the full extent of this fate you have been subjected to.”

He turns, facing you fully.

“A long time ago, someone I cared for committed a horrible act, driven by sorrow and rage when the humans took the Underground’s hope...our two children.”

The goat monster’s heterochromic eyes are glossed over, seemingly unable to shed any actual tears. It appears he has been mourning this for a long time...

“She….. **Toriel** , made a declaration, that any human who falls would not be spared in order to destroy the Barrier that traps us here. Since then, I have welcomed and cared for six human children who I had found on that bed of flowers….but they always leave.”

Asgore steps forward, placing a furred hand on your shoulder as he lets out a shuddering breath. You raise your hand, resting it over his own.

You don’t know if it’s more for his comfort, or for yours.

“Six. That is how many Souls have been collected thus far….My child, if you and your brother were to leave, the Queen will stop at nothing to take your Souls as well.”

He gets down on one knee to be at your eye level, now bracing both paws on your shoulders, his rumbling voice becoming less collected as he goes on.

“But I can keep you both safe here. I can provide nourishment and education, a place where you can be protected.”

Your eyes soften as guilt stings in your chest. You look down, unable to hold his gaze, and your voice comes out as a near whisper.

“I’m sorry, Asgore, but we can’t stay here….it wouldn’t be right for Dakota to spend his life in hiding. We have family and friends on the Surface, people who care about us. About _him_.”

You return your gaze’s focus to Asgore, and the spark of your natural human will is palpable. You are **_determined_** to Persevere.

“Possibilities are infinite, no matter how small. There has to be another way to destroy that Barrier, and I will find it.”

The goat monster’s response is not immediate, his piercing orange and blue orbs searching your own, as if looking for any trace of doubt in your words. Finding nothing, he lowers his head in resignation.

“....You are right, my child. As much as I wish to, I cannot force you two to stay for my own selfish reasons. Staying here would only make you unhappy. My wants, my selfishness….for you, my child, I will set them aside...”

A wet substance streaks down the side of his muzzle, and it is then that you realize they are tears. Without second thought, you move forward to hug Asgore tightly. The hands on your shoulders are soon holding you close to the goat monster, your smaller form now surrounded in his warmth. You murmur something into the fabric of his robes, so quiet that Asgore nearly thought he imagined it.

“Our situation isn’t ideal, but I will never regret meeting you.”

After a few moments, the monster’s hold loosens, allowing you to let go of him. You offer the fatherly goat a lopsided smile, which he returns with a chuckle. He stands back up to his full height, ruffling your hair. You huff and bat away his hand, but you’re still smiling as you attempt to fix your now tangled locks in vain. Asgore looks over towards the front door, sighing through his nose.

“I suppose we must prepare for your departure. Just in case I could not convince you to stay, I have already contacted a good friend of mine beyond the Ruins.”

Your expression becomes a bit strained, uncertain of just how safe you and your brother would be around this ‘friend.’ Noticing your discomfort, the goat monster is quick to reassure you.

“I have known this monster for many years, my child. He has promised to keep you both protected from harm, since I cannot leave the Ruins to do so myself.”

You still feel a bit apprehensive, but you guess it’s better than nothing. Asgore continues, now scratching at his beard with a look that almost seems embarrassed.

“Unfortunately…..I do not know his name, nor what he looks like, but he comes to the Ruin doors quite often. It should not be difficult for you to cross paths.”

Okay….you don’t know how he never thought to ask this stanger’s name after what he claims to be literal years of ‘knowing’ each other. Then again, some folks find your tendency to hide away for days on end to be kinda weird. 

The goat monster nods towards the door.

“Perhaps now is the time to invite your brother back inside. As for myself, I shall prepare some items that could be of use to you.”

Offering another small smile, Asgore turns and pads off to another room. You stare after his disappearing form, feeling a pang of guilt for leaving the monster so soon. Words couldn’t really express how grateful you are for everything he’s done, and all for a couple of strangers who might as well have barged their way into his world. 

You shake away your increasingly self-depricating thoughts. Now isn’t the time for distractions. You walk over to the door and place your hand on the metallic knob, twisting it open.

When you step outside, Dakota isn’t alone.

You freeze in place as your brother continues to ramble on about something to a translucent, pink-ish looking ghost. The spirit seems happy to listen, nodding every so often to show that it was listening. Its uncovered eye drifts over to you, suddenly appearing more petrified than you are. Your brother tilts his head in confusion.

“Mettablook? What’s wrong?”

Following the shy ghost’s gaze, he looks back towards you.

“Oh! That’s just my sis, (Y/N). Don’t worry, she’s a nice human too.”

The ghost- Mettablook, you correct yourself- slowly relaxes as they offer you a shaky smile. Ah jeez, you didn’t mean to scare the poor thing. You approach the two, offering a small nod in greeting.

“Hiya. Sorry, I hope I didn’t interrupt.”

Mettablook shakes their head, the bangs over their right eye slightly swaying with the movement.

“oh….no, you didn’t interrupt. i’m sorry for intruding, you probably want me to go….”

Your brother is quick to protest.

“No, we don’t. I like talking to you, Metta. You’re really cool.”

The little ghost’s eyes appear to grow misty.

“....i came here because i was looking for someplace quiet, but i met two nice people instead….if….if you ever want to visit, my house is somewhere in Waterfall..”

The pink spirit fades from sight, and your brother looks up to you with a hopeful glint.

“Could we, sis?”

Huffing out an amused breath, you offer Dakota a hand and pull him off the ground.

“Maybe some other time. For now, we’ve gotta get moving.”

\-------

 

You adjust the straps of the somewhat heavy bag Asgore had given you. Jesus, how much stuff was in this damn thing? The goat monster is currently fussing over your brother, zipping up the hooded jacket that had accompanied him in the fall, each of his pockets filled with an assortment of Monster Candies. ‘Just in case,’ he had said as your brother struggled to keep them all from falling out. Every few moments, you find yourself looking back in the basement hallway. The unsettling silence gave you the creeps.

Dakota gazed up at the old monster with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

“...will we ever see you again?”

Asgore offers a warm smile as he gently ruffles your brother’s short hair.

“Perhaps not for a while, my child. But if you ever need it, the Ruins will always be open to you. Simply knock, and I will be there.”

Dakota seems to be placated, giving the goat monster one last hug. Asgore stands, glancing over to you. You give him a grateful smile, certain that you wouldn’t be able to bring yourself to leave if you got any more attached to the monstrous father-figure. He bows his head, turning away as he leaves you behind at the Ruins door.

Your Soul aches.

A thin hand reaches out to take your own, and you let out a long breath. Alright, no turning back now.

You reach out and push against the door.

It doesn’t budge.

You sigh in irritation. Fucking damn it, what a way to ruin the moment. You let go of Dakota’s hand and start backing up a few steps. Your brother’s confused look turns to wide-eyed realization of what you’re about to do as he steps out of the way. You charge forward, using the force of your weight by hitting it with your shoulder. You recoil with a pained hiss, the door only appearing to have opened by a crack. You back up even further, Dakota staring on with concern.

“(Y/N), I don’t think this is a good-”

You hit the door again, and it’s thrown open this time. Stumbling, you fall forward into a faceful of snow. You roll onto your side, grasping at your throbbing shoulder.

Fuck, that shit _hurt-_

Dakota hurriedly rushes over and crouches by you.

“Holy flip, are you okay?! I tried telling you that was a bad idea!”

You groan and sit up, paying special mind not to jostle your shoulder too much.

“Yeah...not my proudest moment.”

Your brother gives you a deadpan stare.

“No duh, Sherlock.”

You snort a bit as you finally stand up and stuff your hands into your pockets, doing your best not to wince when it sends another stab of pain up your arm.

“There’s snow need for that sass, broseph.”

He suddenly looks a little guilty.

“...sorry. I just don’t like it when you hurt yourself like that..”

You shrug with your good shoulder. God, you didn’t wanna make him feel bad, it was _your_ fault for being too stubborn to go back and ask Asgore for help.

“S’okay, bro. I dunno about you, but I’m freezing out here. What do you say we go try to find that town Asgore mentioned?”

You offer him your hand, which he takes as he smiles up at you and nods in agreement. Turning your gaze forward, you both follow the winding path through the frigid woods. Remaining on the side of caution, you’re vigilant to the gaps in the trees surrounding you. 

You two come across a large branch on the pathway, which Dakota uses as a step while you opt to just go over it. Your brother begins to hum a quiet tune as you continue walking.

A thunderous snap echoes behind you, Dakota jumps with a girlish yelp as you whirl around with panicked breaths. Your eyes widen when you see the giant branch you had passed not even a minute ago.

_It’s been crushed to splinters._

You urgently push Dakota back the way you had been heading, now making sure he was in front of you at all times. The one in the back was always the most vulnerable. You can feel your brother’s trembling, and you lean down to whisper a reassurance.

“Just keep moving. If I say ‘run’, you go as fast as you can, okay? We’re gonna be fine.”

Honestly, you’re having a lot of trouble believing your own words.

A shadow vanishes as quickly as it appears in the treeline. Your breathing is coming in quicker intervals, but you release a shaking breath. It was probably your imagination. Yeah, that’s it, you’re just seeing things because you’re paranoid.

A voice rumbles from directly behind you, and you can feel your stomach drop as you pale.

“ h u m a n s-”

Your panicked shout interrupts your would-be-murderer.

“BRO, RUN!”

Dakota breaks off into a sprint, you following quickly after him. 

“oh shit- hey, wait! stop runnin’! i wasn’t actually gonna-”

Your mind doesn’t process how the stranger now sounds a lot less threatening, still acting on adrenaline as you and your brother dart between the trees. You can hear as Dakota begins wheezing from the effort to keep running, and soon starts to slow.

_Come on, bro, please, you gotta keep going-_

Your brother trips over a fallen tree, and you rush over, ducking low to the ground as you use your hand to force Dakota into a similar crouch. There are tears running down his cheeks, and his poor little face is red with exhaustion as he wheezes to catch his breath. Fearing that the stranger might hear where you are, you put your palm over his mouth to hush him. He seems to get the idea, taking heavy breaths through his nose.

A few minutes pass in silence, apart from you and your brother’s breathing. Nothing. Thinking you might be safe, you remove your hand from Dakota’s mouth. He gives you an anxious look.

“Are they gone?”

Too soon.

Not a moment after the question breaks the silence, both of your Souls are torn from your chests, each coated in a solid indigo rather than their respective colors.

_**You can’t move.** _

“well, that was rude, don’t ya think?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof
> 
> that escalated quickly


	7. Challenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to warn y'all, I got pissed off at Paps just writing this

Needless to say, you were gonna be miffed if this is how you meet your demise, having just left behind Asgore after promising that you and your brother would return to the Surface.

You strain your neck in a feeble attempt to lift your head towards your captor, but your muscles refuse to cooperate. Somewhere next to you, Dakota lets out a fearful whimper. Snow crunches under the stranger’s slow, calculated steps until they come to a stop in front of you, leaving you to stare at a pair of scuffed red high-tops. Outside your range of sight, their pointer finger flicks upwards, the magic hold on your Soul responding as you are yanked off the freezing ground, bringing you face-to-face with Death himself.

Empty sockets gaze into your terrified orbs. The hood of their orange sweatshirt is pulled up to drape over their skull, the lit cigarette between their teeth illuminating their sharp features in an eerie glow. Your nose reflexively scrunches, assaulted by the strong smell of tobacco smoke. The edges of their large grin lift- how the hell?- as they chuckle lowly.

“now where are you off to in such a hurry? i jus’ wanted to talk, had a gag planned n’ everything.”

The pitch of their lazy drawl leads you to suspect the skeleton is male.

Wait, can they even have genders?

Your brother stands, interrupting your staring contest with the skeleton monster. It appears your captor was a little too preoccupied with scaring the living shit out of you to realize his grip on Dakota’s Soul had dissipated.

“He-hey! We didn’t d-do anything to you, s-so let my sister go….please?”

The skeleton hardly spares him a glance, but the weight of his dark gaze on you increases for a moment before you are set back down onto your feet. Your relief is immediate as your Soul flickers back to its natural violet hue, retreating to its rightful place in your chest. Rushing over to your side, your brother stands slightly behind you to put some distance between himself and the tall stranger, uncomfortable with his presence.

The intimidating monster’s demeanor changes unnaturally fast, as if he was accustomed to the calm mask as his expression falls into an uncaring grin. Slim phalanges reach up, pulling the hood down to rest against his back as he rolls the cigarette between his teeth.

“nyeh, you got nothin’ to worry ‘bout, kid. i’m supposed to be on watch for humans like you, but uh...i don’t really feel like capturin’ anybody.”

The monster shrugs, offering you a bony hand.

“name’s papyrus. papyrus the skeleton.”

The way his height towers over your own puts you on edge. Staring at his outstretched phalanges, you feel a bit apprehensive to take it. You don’t trust Papyrus as far as you could throw him, but you gather the courage to shake his hand, unwilling to find out what he’d do if you pissed him off.

A loud fart echoes through the air, and you can feel your face shift to complete disbelief as your little brother dissolves into a startled series of giggles.

Did this fucker really just-?

Seemingly pleased by your reactions, the skeleton’s ribcage shakes with his chuckling. He withdraws his hand from your grip, raising it with a wink to reveal the deflated rubber object taped over the bones.

“nyeheheheheh. whoopee cushion in the hand trick, works every time.”

You move away as Papyrus brushes past you, trudging in the direction of the forest trail. He stops a few yards ahead of you, glancing over his shoulder with a raised browbone.

“you comin’ or not? i ain’t gonna capture you, but it’s still my job to keep an eyesocket on ya.”

Well, it doesn’t look like you have much else of a choice. Taking hold of your brother’s hand, you reluctantly lead him to follow the skeleton.

Papyrus takes notice when you and Dakota keep your distance, but he makes no mention of it.

The three of you eventually come upon a wooden bridge, which stretches over a gorge that would likely be too large to simply jump to the other side. There’s a piece of paper taped to one of the supporting beams, which your brother approaches to read aloud.

“The only way to succeed is to keep moving forward…?”

He looks back towards the skeleton monster. Sensing the question in his lingering gaze, the skeleton offers an explanation with a fond smile.

“yeah, that’d be my bro’s handiwork. he loves riddles, but he made this one too easy to stop anyone. you can go right through, kiddo.”

Oh, so mister tall-and-mysterious has a brother too? 

You spare Papyrus a wary glance as you follow your brother across the bridge, the skeleton soon crossing after. He clears his throat to recapture your attention as you look over your shoulder to him.

“hey, as a matter of fact, i think that’s him over there. you better hurry before he finds ya. after all, he’s a human hunting fanatic.”

**w h a t**

Your eyes widen as you frantically glance around. A wooden station of sorts is sitting off to the side of the path. Thankfully, Dakota doesn’t protest as you grab his arm and rush over to hide behind the counter. Your foot nudges something, and you look down to see a few discarded honey bottles that appear to have been completely drained. Wrinkling your nose at the blatant littering, you push them aside.

Footsteps are approaching, crunching the snow as they approach Papyrus. It takes all of your self-control not to flinch when the new voice is louder than you had anticipated.

“LAZYBONES! OF COURSE I COME BACK TO FIND YOU SLACKING OFF BY YOUR STATION. WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?”

The newcomer’s tone is significantly less harsh than his words suggest.

“i’ve been making upgrades. you’re always tellin’ me to take better care of it. wanna take a look?”

Your eyes narrow as a new anger broils within you. You knew you shouldn’t have trusted that traitorous son of a-

“FOR THE LAST TIME PAPYRUS, AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY OF YOUR HORRID CONDIMENTS IS NOT AN UPGRADE.”

“aw come on, bro. it just seems to me like you have a bone to pick with my habits.”

It seems like the blatantly obvious pun was even too much for your brother as he lets his head fall against the wood with a dull ‘thunk.’

“BROTHER, WHAT WAS THAT NOISE FROM YOUR STATION?”

Shitshitshitshitshit-

“oh, uh….dunno what you’re talkin’ about. i didn’t hear nothin’.”

The hell? Papyrus seemed completely unbothered to out your hiding spot earlier, so why does he sound so hesitant…?

The unnamed monster huffs in frustration as his footsteps grow closer.

“I SWEAR TO TORIEL, IF THERE IS A TRASH TORNADO BACK HERE, I WILL BE VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU.”

You jump to your feet and back away when the stranger’s stocky form rounds the wooden stand, and Dakota follows your example by rushing to hide behind you, grasping at the sleeve of your thin jacket.

Large cyan eyelights grow wide in surprise as the figure freezes. Not even a moment later, a wide smile splits across his rounded skull as he raises his blue-gloved hands in excitement. 

“I-I CANNOT BELIEVE IT... HUMANS! TWO REAL LIFE HUMANS!”

His eyesockets close as he places a hand over his gray shirt, which you note has a small triangular symbol near where his heart would be, and the solid blue scarf around his neck billows in a nonexistent gust of wind, almost like a cape.

“IT IS ONLY NATURAL THAT I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, WOULD NOT ONLY FIND ONE, BUT _TWO_ HUMANS! NOW I SHALL FINALLY RECEIVE THE RECOGNITION DESERVING OF ONE AS GREAT AS MYSELF! MWEH HEH HEH HEH!”

For the love of God, you just memorized your home address, there’s no way in hell you can keep up with all these weird monster names-

Your thoughts are interrupted as ‘Sans’ redirects his attention to the two of you, pointing a gloved finger in your direction with a determined spark in his eyesockets.

“HUMANS, CONTINUE ONLY IF YOU DARE, FOR IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SURPASS THE BRILLIANT JAPES I HAVE PREPARED!”

With another dramatic flourish, the Magnificent Sans sprints away excitedly as you and your brother stare after him, Dakota with awe and yourself in amused disbelief.

There was no fucking way that skeleton was related to Papyrus. You refuse to believe it.

Speaking of the devil, said skeleton walks up to your side, gazing in the direction Sans had disappeared.

“my bro is so cool, isn’t he?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who's finally joined the show


	8. Flee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a chapter before I'm hauled off to the middle of nowhere for the weekend.
> 
> Sorry this one took so long. I don't really have an established update time, but I'll try to at least once a week when I have the time. Between academics and work, my focus during lectures has been slipping.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Alright.

This is fine.

You’re pretty sure you’ve just been challenged by the blue embodiment of all the motivation you wish you had, but everything should turn out fine….

Right?

Feeling a heavy stare from your left, you look over to see Papyrus still standing there with a raised browbone. Oh, he had asked you a question, didn’t he? You clear your throat as you nervously avoid his gaze.

“He’s….certainly a lot less threatening than I expected.”

The hoodie-clad skeleton seems skeptical of your phrasing, narrowing his eyesockets ever so slightly.

“whattaya mean by that?”

Your slowly turn your head back towards him with a deadpan expression. Did he seriously forget everything that’s happened up until this point? You raise your arms in an exaggerated shrug.

“Oh, I dunno, maybe the fact that your _charming_ introduction left me a bit rattled about meeting any more skeletons.”

Sarcasm laced your irate tone, but Paps chuckles at the pun. When he sees that you’re still giving a half-hearted glare, he sighs and reaches up to scratch at the back of his skull.

“okay okay, fine. m’sorry about...y’know, the whole ‘stalking’ thing..”

Holy Christ on a bike, is Mister Ass-less Asshole actually apologizing? You can feel the tension in your shoulders begin to slip as the miffed glower loses its edge. Then Papyrus shrugs with a winking smirk, all traces of remorse gone.

“but hey, in my defense, the looks on your faces were hilarious.”

Alright, moment ruined. 

You lightly elbow his side, a satisfied smile taking over as he lets out a small ‘oomph!’ The skeleton rubs his non-existent gut.

“nyeheheheheh. welp, i s’pose i deserved that.”

Your brother rolls his eyes at your antics, taking your hand in his own as he looks up to Papyrus. He seems more comfortable around the tall skeleton now that the previous tension had all but dissipated. You’re thankful for that. Anxiety never did bode well with Dakota’s health.

“Your brother said something about japes...what does that mean?”

A small puff of cigarette smoke billows from his nasal cavity as he huffs an amused breath.

“sans has always wanted to be in the royal guard, n’ it just so happens that a friend of his is the captain. he’s convinced capturing a human is the only way she’ll let ‘im in, so there’s gonna be some puzzles up ahead.”

Papyrus chews on the end of his cigarette in thought, then turns back to you with a contemplative gaze.

“actually, d’ya think you could do me a favor? my bro’s been kinda down lately, it’d really cheer ‘im up if you two played along.”

Great, you’re already worried enough about keeping you and your brother alive, now you have to deal with dilemmas like this? 

“Oh, uh, I’m not too sure….be honest, are we in danger..?”

“heh, nah, not really. sans couldn’t bring ‘imself to hurt a fly, i’m sure you’ll be fine.”

He gives you what you’re sure was meant to be a reassuring wink, but it just leaves you questioning the rules of skeleton anatomy.

“don’t worry, i’ll keep an eyesocket out for ya.”

Well…..you guess you and Dakota could give Sans’ puzzles a shot. Maybe if you do, one of the skeletons could provide you with directions to the Barrier.

“Alright…”

Papyrus offers a grateful nod with a smirk.

“great, i’ll be up ahead.”

The hoodie-clad skeleton walks off......in the direction of the Ruins. Your brother pipes up from next to you.

“H-hey, wait, where are you-...?”

The moment you two turn around, the tall skeleton appears to have already vanished. You let out a low grumble.

“Damn, didn’t think he could move that fast..”

Dakota nods in perplexed agreement.

“Me neither.”

You glance down to your brother, a trace of concern lingering in your expression.

“You alright with some puzzle-solving, broseph? If you want, we could try to find another way through.”

After a second of hesitation, he shakes his head as a slightly apprehensive smile crosses his face.

“It’s...fine. I guess it’d be kinda cool to see what kind of contraptions there’d be.”

And so, the two of you continue down the path, Dakota having to walk a little faster to keep up with your longer legs. You soon come upon what looks like a poorly constructed- wait, is that cardboard?- version of the sentry station you two had used as a hiding spot, which has a note written in bold lettering taped to the front. You bend down to read it.

“You come across a wonderfully crafted station. ‘Who could be responsible?’ you ponder. Why, it could only be the work of that handsome royal guardsman…”

You can feel yourself smiling like an idiot as you read through the somewhat unnecessary note. God, this dude is kind of a dork, isn’t he? Oh, shit, it looks like you missed a line.

“...Note: Not yet an official royal guardsman.”

Dakota starts giggling to himself

“I like him already.”

You nod with a grin.

“Agreed. C’mon, let’s keep going.”

You and your brother reluctantly leave behind the cardboard station. Up ahead, there’s a large patch of ice coating the ground, which Dakota is quick to voice in concerns about.

“Sis, I’m not walking across that deathtrap.”

“Bro, we’ve gotta get across somehow.”

“No! I’m not doing it.”

“Please?”

“Nu-uh. No way.”

“What if I hold your hand?”

Dakota looks over at you with clear disdain for the very thought of going anywhere near the ice patch. You sigh in defeat and glance around, your face lighting up as you notice a small strip of snowy ground that goes around the slippery mayhem. You point to it until your brother looks over in the same direction.

“How about that?”

Your little brother releases a breath of relief.

“Yeah, that’s better.”

Phew, crisis averted. You can’t really fault him for being so wary of walking on ice, considering that was how he broke his arm a couple years back. You’re pretty sure folks on the other side of the planet could hear the echoes of the unholy scream he let out on that day.

Bickering can be heard in the distance, and you raise an eyebrow as the two of you approach the noise. You look on in disbelief as Sans and Papyrus converse in playful banter from a few yards away.

How the fuck did Paps get here before you?

“I SWEAR BROTHER, YOU ARE SUCH A LAZYBONES. YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!”

“bro, i think that’s called sleeping.”

“EXCUSES, EXCUSES…”

The brothers finally take notice of your presence, and Sans’ ecstatic grin nearly doubles in size.

“AH, IT APPEARS THE HUMANS HAVE ARRIVED! I HOPE YOU ARE PREPARED, BECAUSE THIS PUZZLE IS QUITE….. _SHOCKING_.”

Oh God, your play-on-words meter is going ballistic. You think you know where this is headed.

“BEHOLD! THE INVISIBLE ELECTRICITY MAZE!”

Of course he would want to electrocute you. Why the hell not? You and your brother look over the unseen trap in mute horror as Sans pulls out a smooth cyan ball from nowhere.

“YOU SEE, IF YOU MAKE EVEN A SINGLE WRONG STEP, THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP! SOUND LIKE FUN? BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WILL HAVE….IS ACTUALLY NOT VERY MUCH, I THINK. ALRIGHT! GO AHEAD, HUMANS!”

But….he’s still holding the orb? Of course you don’t want to be zapped, but you didn’t want to see the excitable skeleton get hurt. Dakota tilts his head in confusion while you hesitantly raise your hand to catch Sans’ attention. Said skeleton owlishly blinks.

“HMM? IS SOMETHING WRONG, TALLER HUMAN?”

Your hand motions to point towards the orb still in his grasp.

“If I step forward while you’re holding that thing, won’t you get electrocuted instead…?”

His wide smile falters for a moment before it returns, albeit more embarrassed than earlier as his cheekbones are highlighted with a small flush of blue.

You’re not even gonna question this shit anymore.

“Y-YES, THAT WOULD BE CORRECT. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE ERROR, HUMAN.”

Sans steps into the maze, weaving through it as if he’s done it a hundred times before, but his steps actually sound a tad more loud than they should. He approaches you, and his gloved hand picks up your own to place the somewhat heavy orb into your palm. Now that he’s so close, you notice that you two are around the same height, Sans only being a few centimeters taller at most. You use both hands to cradle the glass sphere as the skeleton gives you a warm smile before turning back to retrace his path through the invisible maze.

You pad over to where Sans had exited the electric field with Dakota right behind you, pausing when you see a substantial amount of scuffing in the snowless ground. Your eyes follow the abrasions, squinting as you realize that they form a marked trail to the other end of the maze. 

Did he do that on purpose..?

You carefully follow the path Sans had left behind, your brother clinging his fingers into the material of your rucksack. About halfway through, you pause to try scratching at the frozen ground with the tip of your shoe, only to realize you’re unable to make anything larger than a small indent into the dirt. Confused, you glance up to the skeleton brothers. Papyrus is looking over towards Sans with an indecipherable gaze, which the blue skeleton either doesn’t notice or chooses to ignore as he gives you a thumbs up.

“I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT, HUMANS!”

Your expression shifts to a grateful smile as you continue through the maze, practically breezing your way out. Sans nods to himself.

“WELL DONE, YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BESTED THE FIRST TRIAL. BUT! I HAVE MORE PREPARED JUST UP AHEAD THAT ARE SURE TO LEAVE YOU STUMPED BY THE MAGNIFICENT SANS! MWEH HEH HEH HEH!”

The ball of energy sprints off ahead, once again leaving you and your brother with Paps as you drop the orb in the snow. Without so much as a word, the lanky skeleton walks away.

Rude.

You and your brother continue onwards, Dakota entertaining himself by kicking up flurries of snow. You chuckle with a raised eyebrow.

“Bro, that’s just gonna get your shoes wet, and I’m not sure if you’d be too fond of soaked socks.”

His eyes light up as he looks over to you with a smug grin.

“What can I say? I get a real kick out of it.”

You can’t even hide your snort this time. God, you’re so proud. A chuckle and an irritated groan reach your ears, and you look to see the skeleton brothers once again standing across from you, a single sheet of paper lying on the ground. Papyrus is muffling his snickers with a skeletal hand over his mouth as Sans stomps his boot.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU, BROTHER! STOP TAINTING EVERY LIKEABLE PERSON YOU COME ACROSS WITH YOUR INSUFFERABLE JOKES!”

Your brother pipes up with that same smug look.

“But Mister Sans, you’re smiling.”

The skeleton folds his arms across his chest (ribcage?) with an amused huff.

“I AM AND I HATE IT.”

You cover your mouth in a vain attempt to stifle your laugh. Sans faintly flushes before clearing his nonexistent throat and motioning to the mostly empty area.

“THIS PUZZLE WAS PREPARED BY NONE OTHER THAN PAPY! SURELY YOU WILL BE….”

He pauses mid-sentence as his gaze lands upon the lone page, slightly turning to squint up at the hoodied skeleton.

“PAPYRUS, WHERE IS YOUR PUZZLE?”

“s’right there, bro. don’ worry, there’s no way they can get past this one.”

You and your brother approach the ‘trap’, picking it up. It looks like a crossword with last week’s date on it. You can already point out a few words just by looking at it, but there isn’t anything to write with. Gently setting it back on the ground, you glance over towards the brothers as you sheepishly rub the back of your neck.

“Sorry, I uh, I don’t have a pen.”

Sans blinks and turns back to Papyrus.

“THAT DIDN’T EVEN DO ANYTHING!”

The tall skeleton snaps his phalanges with a faux disappointed look.

“damn, knew i shoulda used today’s crossword.”

“CROSSWORD? JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASILY THE HARDEST.”

“that easy-peasy word scramble? thas’ for babybones.”

Babybones might now be your favorite word.

Sans huffs and returns his attention to the two of you, pointing in your direction.

“HUMANS, SOLVE THIS DISPUTE! WHICH IS HARDER, CROSSWORD OR JUNIOR JUMBLE?”

Dakota glances to you and shrugs.

“Don’t look at me, I avoid both.”

You chuckle and shake your head. To be honest, you were never able to figure out the word jumbles, even as you grew into adulthood. The seemingly random letters that never quite fit in the provided spaces never failed to give you a headache.

“Definitely the word jumble. Whoever invented it had to be a sadist.”

The excitable skeleton’s expression lights up with glee as he places his hands on his hips proudly.

“MWEH HEH HEH HEH! SEE? SURELY HUMANS MUST BE A SMART SPECIES TO ALSO BE STUMPED BY THE JUMBLING OF LETTERS!”

You decide to take that as a compliment. Unsurprisingly, Sans follows his trend of behavior by rushing off, likely to wait for you at the next puzzle. Papyrus glances over to you with an appreciative yet lazy grin.

“hey, thanks for agreein’ with my bro to make him happy.”

You blink.

“I was serious.”

He lets out an involuntary laugh. The hell is so funny?

“nyeheheheheh, are you kiddin’ me?”

You huff in irritation and cross your arms. Fuck this guy, scrambles are hard!

“Hey! Don’t laugh!”

The skeleton wipes away an imaginary tear from his eyesocket as his laughter dies down.

“ah, that’s rich. welp, i guess we’ll be waitin’ for ya.”

Before you could further defend your dignity, he trudges off in the direction Sans had gone. You growl to yourself as Dakota takes your hand, eagerly pulling you along. At least your bro looked like he was having fun. 

Glancing forward, your brother gasps and runs over to a lone table, motioning you over.

“Sis! Sis, look! Someone left food out here!”

What?

You walk over, and sure enough, a large plate of neatly assorted tacos is sitting out next to an unplugged microwave. You’re not gonna lie, they actually looked pretty good. Your common sense then proceeds to bitch-slap your naive idiocy, calling you suicidal for even considering to eat supposedly abandoned food in the middle of the forest.

Oh, there’s another note.

“Humans, enjoy this delectable plate of tacos prepared with care!  
(Little do you know, these tacos are a trap designed to entice you! You’ll be so busy with my culinary masterpiece, that you won’t realize you aren’t progressing!) Thoroughly japed again by the Magnificent Sans!”

Dakota is hunched forward, giggling uncontrollably as you attempt to recreate the excitable skeleton’s superhero-like way of speech. You soon find yourself suppressing a few wheezing gasps of breath as well. You were skeptical at first, but it was damn near impossible not to like this dude. Curious, you attempt to pick up a taco, only to find that it’s somehow frozen to the plate. 

“Huh, taco ‘bout cold amirite?”

Your brother releases a disappointed groan.

“Aww, man.”

You chuckle and ruffle his hair, which he responds to by batting away your hand with a glare.

“Don’t worry, broseph. Maybe you can ask him to make another batch later.”

His eyes light up again, nodding with enthusiasm. 

The moment of domestic calm is torn as both of your Souls are pulled from your chests. Your eyes widen as you glance around your mostly empty surroundings in panic.

_Why is everything black and white?_

Dakota tugs on your sleeve to grab your attention, pointing over to a large bird-like creature with blunt teeth in its gaping beak. Four glowing buttons appear before you and you nearly stumble backwards from shock.

**[FIGHT] [ACT] [ITEM] [MERCY]**

For some reason, the glaring ‘FIGHT’ option made you feel uneasy. You choose to ignore it for now, instead watching as your violet Soul- weird, Dakota’s Soul and your own appear to be the only things with color- moves in sync with the drift of your eyes until it hovers over ‘MERCY’.

You still have no idea how the fuck this was happening.

The snowflake bird seems agitated by your distracted gaze, letting out a battle cry as it unleashes a barrage of crescent-shaped attacks, which seem to gravitate towards your exposed Souls. Startled, you fail to dodge most of the oncoming threats as they aim for your Soul. Every time a hit lands on your violet heart, a renewed burning sensation ripples through your senses.

**HP 3/20**

God, you really don’t wanna find out what happens if that number hit zero.

You look over, and your brother looks even worse for wear than you are. He’s wheezing for breath, curled in on himself with eyes tightly closed as tears stream down his cheeks. Your heart stops as horror dawns on your expression.

_You’ll both die unless you do something._

You rush over to your brother, picking up his lightweight form as you do what you’ve proven to do best.

***You ran away.**

\-------

 

Sans paces impatiently as his blue eyelights dance around the surrounding area, waiting for your appearance. What was taking you two so long? It had been a good while since he left you both at his brother’s failed puzzle, and he could feel himself growing more worried with each minute that passed.

“careful bro, or you’ll wear a hole into the ground.”

Sans turned to his lazy brother, the usually peppy skeleton’s smile pulled down into a small frown.

“I CAN’T HELP IT. WHAT IF I SCARED THEM OFF WITH MY MAGNIFICENT PRESENCE? WHAT IF THEY GOT LOST? OR…..PERHAPS THEY DON’T WISH TO ATTEMPT MY JAPES ANYMORE...”

Papyrus lets out a chuckle, waving his hand dismissively.

“eh, m’sure they’ll be here any minute. ‘sides, who could pass up a chance to talk with you? they’ve probably just got cold feet.”

Sans stomps his boot with a pout.

“I AM SERIOUS, PAPY. NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR PUNNERY!”

The sound of heavy, quickly-paced steps and heavy breathing catches the anxious skeleton’s attention, looking over and smiling widely when he sees your approaching form.

That is, until the clear distress in your features wipes the ecstatic grin away entirely.

You force your pumping legs to a halt, panting to catch your breath as the burning in your lungs berates you for being a fucking idiot. You look up to meet eyes with the worried skeleton, whose non-existent heart wilts at the dread in your gaze, and you motion to your unconscious brother.

“We….we were attacked. I-I didn’t know what to do...can you help him? Please?”

Sans can feel a surge of determination as he nods with the kind of seriousness that almost makes him look...older.

“OF COURSE. WE SHALL BRING YOU TO OUR HOME AND HEAL HIM TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES.”

He turns to Papyrus, who winks.

“come on, i got a shortcut.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make up for taking so long by giving the skels more screen-time lol


	9. Sheltered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this freaking chapter was giving me trouble for days.
> 
> But then it started flowing about halfway through.
> 
> And now this happened.

Before another word could be uttered, Papyrus had placed one of his skeletal hands over your shoulder and the other on Sans'. 

The very fabric of reality harshly shifts around you, and your inhale of breath dies into a pained wheeze as you all manifest in the center of an entirely new place. Your hold on Dakota tightens ever so slightly as you attempt to ward off the sudden influx of nausea. Sans goes over to you, rubbing your back soothingly as he gently leads you by the arm to a worn-in couch. The corners of his eyesockets crinkle in unbridled worry as his blue eyelights flick between you and your unconscious brother. 

"I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DISCOMFORT. TELEPORTATION TENDS TO BE WORSE IF IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME."

As your head eventually clears to the point where you can focus your sight ahead of you, you lay Dakota onto the couch ever-so-carefully, as if he was made of glass. Your response comes out as a soft murmur as you kneel down to dig through the bag Asgore had given you, desperate to find anything that might stabilize your brother's poor condition as your face twists with guilt.

"It's alright. I'm sorry to inconvenience you like this...."

Sans shakes his head vehemently, looking almost insulted by the very idea of being inconvenienced by someone in such a dire situation.

"DO NOT BE SORRY, THERE IS NO SHAME IN NEEDING HELP."

You pause as your fingers grasp the thermos of Spider Cider you had been looking for, glancing to the skeleton's soft eyelights with a flutter of warmth in your chest. Your mind chalks it up to intense gratefulness as you return your attention forward again, gazing down at the container in your hand.

"...thank you."

Sans' smile quirks up a bit as he offers a single nod. The creaking stairs alerts you both of Papyrus' return, turning your head to see the tall skeleton descending with a blanket folded over his arm. Strangely enough, you hadn't even noticed his disappearance. He walks over to the couch, taking a corner of the fleece in each hand and allowing the rest to spill down to the carpet before draping it over Dakota's form. Stuffing his now free skeletal hands into his hoodie's pouch, he looks over to the thermos in your hold with a raised browbone.

"whas' that for?"

You brace your fingers around the top of the container and attempt to unscrew the lid, grumbling about why it had to be closed so goddamn tightly. Suddenly, the top pops off and you let out a sigh of relief. Your mind recalls the brief explanation the goat monster had provided back before you had left the Ruins.

"Directly applied healing magic won't have any effect on Dakota because of his Soul trait, but foods imbued with healing properties should do the trick....hopefully."

Papyrus offers a noncommittal hum of acknowledgement as Sans perks up, his eyelights beaming with a renewed excitement, placing a gloved hand on his chest and the other against his hip.

“IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN I SHALL PREPARE THE MOST MAGNIFICENT OF TACOS TO AID IN THE SMALL HUMAN’S RECOVERY! MWEH HEH HEH HEH!”

He strides into what you assume is the kitchen, and you wince from the following clatter of pots and pans. However, you still have a small smile on your face as you huff a light breath. Even though he could be intense at times, you’re glad that your host is such a kindhearted person. Papyrus mumbles something, in which you can only make out the word ‘Muffet’ before he leaves the house. Squinting towards the front door he’d just closed behind him, you file it under the ever-growing list of weird shit the tall skeleton does. You shake your head and turn towards Dakota with the steaming thermos in hand. You reach over and lightly nudge his shoulder.

“C’mon, broseph, I got something to make you feel better..”

He responds by mumbling tiredly and rolling the other way, intent on napping without disturbance. You sigh and shake his shoulder again.

“Dude, you’re getting this one way or another. It’s up to you whether you drink it or I pour it in through your nose.”

Grumbling, he obliges by rolling back to face you. He uses shaky arms to try to sit up, and you help keep him steady until he’s rested against the arm of the couch. You offer the thermos, which he takes with both hands before hesitantly sniffing the sweet-scented steam wafting from it. Dakota raises the container to his mouth, taking a few slow gulps before pushing it towards you again. You pick up the discarded lid, twisting it back into place. 

A loud _clang_ from the kitchen causes your brother to jump a bit. He gazes around in confusion, as if just now realizing your strange surroundings.

“Um...where are we, (Y/N)?”

You chuckle as you put the thermos back into the rucksack.

“Sans and Papyrus were kind enough to bring us here after...uh, that…”

Your explanation degraded into a less mirthful tone, giving way to your lingering guilt. After all, you’re the reason Dakota can hardly sit up on his own right now.

“Listen, bro…..I’m sorry. I should’ve gotten us out of there sooner. I was stupid, and you got hurt because of it.”

Narrowing his eyes in thought, your brother reaches forward and pinches your nose. You sputter in confusion, looking towards Dakota for an explanation as to what on Earth he was doing. He suppresses a grin.

“I ‘nose’ it wasn’t your fault, sis, so don’t go blaming yourself either. It’s ‘snot’ gonna do us any good.”

**Oh my God-**

Dakota lets go of your sniffer as you dissolve into wheezy giggles. Sans chooses around that moment to return, a large plate of tacos in hand. He blinks as you attempt to recollect yourself, clearing your throat to push down the residual chuckles bubbling up. He narrows his eyesockets, but his growing smile gives away his amusement.

“FOR THE SAKE OF NOT TAINTING THIS POSITIVE MOOD, I SHALL NOT REPRIMAND YOU TWO FOR THOSE AWFUL JOKES.”

Mildly flushing in embarrassment, you rub the back of your neck with a helpless shrug. Dakota, however, isn't anywhere near done yet as he responds looking Sans dead in the eye.

Okay, you _have_ to use that line sometime.

“Sorry Mister Sans, I couldn't help myself. Guess I was just ‘bone’ to be a jokester.”

For a moment, there is only silence as your brother eagerly awaits the hell to come. Sans sets the platter onto the coffee table, pointing to it like one would to a dog’s kennel.

“TINY HUMAN, EAT A TACO SO THAT I MAY FINALLY BREAK THE DARK SIDE’S GRASP ON YOUR MIND.”

You burst into a renewed string of giggly snorts, Sans sneaking a fond glance towards your crumbling control-of-self. Dakota’s eyes brighten, needing no further convincing to reach forward and grab a soft-shelled work of culinary art. He takes a bite, humming in satisfaction from the delicious burst of flavor. He wastes no time wolfing down the rest of it, swallowing the last half and looking over to Sans in clear awe. You swear that there'd be stars in his eyes if it were possible.

“Ohmygosh, that was so good! Where'd you learn to cook like that?”

The skeleton in question looks so goddamn happy, beaming as he pats your brother’s head.

“MWEH! I AM SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT, SMALL HUMAN! I ACTUALLY LEARNED FROM OUR VERY OWN CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD, ALPHYS.”

He suddenly looks a bit embarrassed as he nervously scratches at a blue-flushed cheekbone.

“HONESTLY, I USED TO BE RATHER….POOR IN CULINARY SKILL. BUT I MANAGED TO GET MUCH BETTER AT IT ONCE I BEGAN TASTE-TESTING WHAT I COOKED!”

Awwww, the skelly’s blushing.

Sans soon reigns in his shyness, clearing his throat before looking over to you with that same beaming grin that he might as well trademark by now.

“ARE YOU HUNGRY AS WELL? THERE IS PLENTY OF MY INCREDIBLE COOKING TO GO AROUND!”

As much as you would love to chow down, the thought of food is making your stomach churn in protest. It seems that you haven't quite gotten over the stress of today. You give Sans an apologetic smile.

“Maybe later, I'm not up for food right now. Thank you for the offer.”

Feeling the weight of your drowsiness, you yawn with a lazy stretch of your arms. Up on the couch, it seems like Dakota isn't faring any better, jerking his head upwards for a third time after nearly dozing off. Realization flashes in Sans’ eyesockets.

“OH, IT APPEARS YOU TWO ARE IN NEED OF PROPER REST. DO NOT WORRY, I SHALL GO FETCH THE EXTRA BLANKET!”

You watch as the skeleton rushes up the stairs, disappearing around the corner to whatever lied up there. You look over to your brother, intending to ask if he's feeling any better.

Oh. There goes that idea.

Looks like he's already ditched you for the land of sleep, burying his face into the couch cushion with a content peacefulness expressed in his pale features. You smile as you lean your head against the side of the couch from your sitting position on the carpet. You'll let him have the couch for himself tonight. Not only does he need the rest, but you have a nagging fear of accidentally hurting him in your sleep. You can’t risk jostling his injuries while they're still healing. With this in mind, you find your eyelids soon growing heavier as they drift shut, your consciousness following Dakota’s into the abyss.

Creaking enunciates Sans’ steps as he returns downstairs, a massive fluffy blanket thrown over his shoulder. He’d spent a good ten minutes trying to find the comfiest one in the house, which ended up coming from his own bed. He’d have only the best for his houseguests! He pads over towards the living room, pausing near the couch as he realizes you’ve already fallen asleep. Looking over to your brother, he confirms that Dakota’s already wrapped himself into a blanket burrito. Despite knowing that you'd surely taken care of distributing the healing drink you brought, Sans still feels an inkling of concern grip his Soul. He lightly taps Dakota’s sternum to perform a Check, reassuring himself that it's just to make sure you're both okay.

**Dakota  
** **HP 14/15**  
***Snug as a bug in a rug.**

Sans’ ribcage shakes in his attempt to stifle the chuckles that threaten to rise. Of course your brother’s strange humor would reflect in his Check message. Pacified, he shifts his attention to you, kneeling to place a soft tap on the center of your chest.

**(Y/N)  
** **HP 3/20**  
***Grateful to have made it out alive.**

The moment he saw the state of your HP, Sans could’ve sworn his Soul stuttered to a halt as his blue eyelights flickered out, leaving void sockets in their place.

_You….you never healed yourself._

_**Why?** _

He knew that you didn't eat the cuisine he prepared, but that didn't explain why you hadn't even bothered to replenish your HP. The skeleton shook his skull, blue eyelights returning much dimmer than earlier. No matter the reason, you were still hurt, and Sans intends to fix that. He uses two fingers to pull the glove off one hand before gently placing it on your sternum. His right eyelight fades out as his left one grows brighter, emanating power as his splayed phalanges become enveloped in the calming green glow of healing magic. You shift a bit in your sleep, your face visibly relaxing from the effects of his magic aid. Sans doesn't recall when, but at some point his free hand comes up to rest against your cheek, tenderly stroking his bone thumb against your warm skin as the green magic glows brighter, visibly embodying his want to heal you.

Then something strange occurs.

The outline of your Soul shines through your chest as it responds to Sans, almost trying to reach out to his presence. His eyesockets widen as he retracts his hands, staring dumbstruck at your Soul’s display as his skull changed shade to a deep navy. Mere seconds after the disappearance of his healing magic, the glow wanes before fading out entirely. That's….not possible, is it?

You were a _human._

 

So how in the name of Toriel was your Soul resonating with his?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heheheheheheheh


	10. Self-Care

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Staying up late sucks.
> 
> Migraines suck.
> 
> But I think this chapter makes it worthwhile.

The next few minutes went by without Sans even realizing. His blue eyelights simply lingering over your slumbering face as countless thoughts flit about through his skull. Was it even possible for Resonation to happen between a monster and a human? What did this mean for capturing you? Does he still have to bring you to Alphys?

Strangely enough, the idea of you leaving makes his magic curl uncomfortably in his ribcage.

As much as he wants to wave it off as sleepiness getting the best of him, he couldn’t have imagined the way your Soul had reached out, tentatively grazing against his own magic with a tingling warmth that could hardly be described. The mere memory causes a shiver to run down Sans’ spine. It just felt so….nice. 

Suddenly Sans blinks, his cheekbones heating up with shame. Stars, he’s such a weirdo, staring at his houseguest with such scandalous thoughts. How could he ever hope to be an esteemed royal guardsman if he can’t control himself around his ~~**soulmate**~~ new friend?

His gaze drifts over to the discarded blanket, a reminder of what he’d come down to do in the first place. Now that Sans’ mind is more clear, his attention is drawn to how you’ve been shivering. It makes sense considering that Sans and his brother had no need to keep the heating cranked up. Sure, they could _feel_ the cold, but it simply never bothered them as monsters without skin. Picking up the blanket from his kneeled position, he leans forward to drape it over your sitting form, tucking it behind your shoulders to ensure that it would stay up to keep you warm. Eyelights flicking back up to your closed eyes, he lets out a sigh. Resonation was an important aspect of life in the Underground, one that is taught to every monster once they reach an adolescent age, but he was sure that you didn’t really understand it, seeing as humans couldn’t do much in terms of sensing their own Soul outside of an Encounter.

Back when monsters were more....well, _instinct-driven_ to put it lightly, Resonation developed as a means of gaining protection or achieving reproduction. It wasn’t really a twist of fate that led two individuals together because they were ‘meant to be’ in the eyes of the universe. It was more like a roll of the dice. Once a Soul comes in close proximity to another that it is...ahem, **fond** of, the individuals involved would have a sort of magnetism induced by Souls that are eager to bond. Even then, there was no guarantee that full bonding would be initiated by those with resonating auras.

Sans was beyond mortified when he had to give a similar explanation to his younger brother, but Papyrus’ eye-bulging expression would forever be a gem in his memory.

As his gaze rests over you, smiling to himself when you curl further under the comforter, Sans’ worries are momentarily soothed. He hadn’t expected to experience Resonation so early in his life...but he’s okay with it if it’s with you. You had been nothing but kind to him in the day he’s known you, and he somewhat sees you as a kindred spirit with how much you seem to care for your sibling, reminding him of a time when it was just he and a much younger Papyrus scrabbling to get by. His eyesockets close as he nuzzles his smooth teeth against your forehead in a skele-kiss, murmuring to ensure that you’d stay asleep.

“Sweet Dreams, (Y/N)...”

After what may have been a moment too long of lingering on the feeling of your warm skin, Sans stands from his kneeling spot, turning towards your brother and pressing another mock peck on the top of his head.

“And You As Well, Dakota.”

His gloved phalanges give the smaller human’s short locks a gentle ruffle as he departs from the side of the couch, making sure to skip over the squeaky step as he ascends the staircase. Pausing when he enters his own bedroom, a hand reaches up to grasp at the fabric over his sternum, where a faint tug at his Soul beckons Sans to his completing half he’d left downstairs.

\-------

 

_Poke._

Mnnnnnnh, nooooo, fuck off.

_Poke._

You swear to whatever God exists, you might just slap whoever the hell is trying to wake you up at what is probably way too damn early.

_**Poke poke poke-** _

You grasp the offender’s wrist mid-jab, cracking an eye open to see your brother, who is awake and staring at you with a lopsided smile of amusement. You love Dakota, but it was becoming very tempting to crawl under the couch and never come back out.

“Didja know you drool in your sleep? Cause you do. A lot.”

Dropping his arm, you respond by maturely sticking out your tongue. Still drowsy from your rude awakening, you stretch with a satisfying yawn, which is promptly cut short as a stabbing pain makes itself known in the back of your neck. Wincing, you reach up to rub at the sore area.

“Holy hell on ice, how do I always manage to sleep so awkwardly..?”

Looking down to your lap, you squint at the plush blue blanket that lays sprawled over your lower half, shielding your legs from the chilled air. Weird, you don’t remember that being there before. You pick up a corner of the comforter, mesmerized by the silky fabric’s feel against your fingertips. That is, until your sight lands on a rather large spot of drool near its edge. Grumbling under your breath, you curse yourself for leaving something so gross on a near-stranger’s blanket. Maybe the skeleton brothers will forgive you if you offer to wash it. 

Speaking of washing…

You give your hoodie sleeve a quick sniff, recoiling from the odor of your own sweat. Ugh, you need a shower, and maybe a fresh change of clothes. Bathing would be pretty useless if you ended up throwing them back on as they were. You glance over your shoulder to Dakota as he fruitlessly tries to stifle a yawn of his own.

“Are either of the brothers here?”

Nodding, your brother points in the general direction of the kitchen.

“Last I saw, Mister Sans was in there.”

Offering a responsive hum, you stand to your feet and your joints creak in protest, scolding you for your poorly-planned sleeping position. You sling the used blanket over your arm, walking over into the kitchen as you continue to try massaging the knot in your neck. Sure enough, the more energized of the two skeletons stood across the tiled flooring, facing away from you as he scrubs a large pan with the soapy sponge in his clutch to the tune of his upbeat humming. It seems he’s traded out his signature gloves for a rubber pair, likely to keep his hands clean of any greasy substances. Briefly, you wonder if skeletons are weirded out by the sensation of water getting between their bones.

A question for another day.

The humming abruptly ceases as Sans catches your form in the corner of his peripheral vision. He blinks in mild surprise before the edges of his ever-present smile quirk up happily.

“OH! GOOD MORNING, TALLER HUMAN. I HOPE YOU SLEPT WELL.”

The soapy pan becomes encased in a blue glow, floating away from the skeleton’s grasp and dropping unceremoniously into a ridiculously tall sink. Opting to ask about the more interesting oddity, you raise your eyebrows in curiosity.

“Woah...is that what your magic does? Levitate stuff?”

Chuckling, Sans pulls off the obnoxiously yellow rubber gloves.

“YEP! IT IS ONE OF THE WAYS MY MAGIC CAN MANIFEST. THOUGH I TRY NOT TO USE IT TOO OFTEN, LEST I BECOME AS LAZY AS MY BROTHER.”

 _Holy shit._ Your awestruck gaze catches Sans off guard, his cheekbones lighting up in a slight tinge of blue.

“That is _so cool!_ What else can it do?”

Sans’ grin turns mischievous as he waggles a phalange in a tutting motion, though the flush is still present.

“MWEH HEH HEH HEH! WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO KNOW? AS MUCH AS I WISH TO SHOW OFF MY MANY SKILLS, IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO DO SO BEFORE YOUR FIRST TRAINING LESSON!”

Nani the hell is he talking about? You tilt your head, silently asking him to elaborate. He lightly pokes your cheek as his face brightens in glee, causing the corners of your mouth to tremble upwards as you suppress a laugh. Christ, this dude is weird in the best kind of way.

“INDEED, YOU SHALL HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING TRAINED BY NONE OTHER THAN I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS! SOON, YOU WILL BE ONE OF THE BEST IN TERMS OF DODGING ATTACKS, ALMOST AS GREAT AS MYSELF!”

That...actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea. As proven in your rather one-sided fight, you were pretty useless in defending both yourself and your brother. The very image of Dakota, injured and curled up on the snowy ground, leaves an ache in your chest. You don’t want him to get hurt. You _can’t_ let it happen again. Clutching the blanket in your arms, you offer an appreciative smile.

“Thank you so much, it means a lot to me. Before we begin though, I was wondering if you had a washer or maybe a shower we could use..? I wanted to clean this comforter for you, and Dakota and I have kinda been stuck in the same set of clothes for the past few days.”

The cheeky skeleton winks.

“SAY NO MORE, FRIEND.”

Quicker than you could blink, Sans had already whisked the blanket from your arms, taking your hand in his own gloveless one and leading you over to the staircase. Gazing down at the intertwined fingers of bone and flesh as he continues up the steps, you are shocked to learn that his hand- seemingly made up of partially fused bones- has a temperature similar to your own, if not just a bit colder. 

You enjoy it more than you’ll ever admit.

He stops in front of a closed oak door, releasing your hand to open the door for you. 

“HELP YOURSELF TO OUR BATHING AMENITIES. JUST LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES OUTSIDE THE DOOR AND I SHALL GET THEM CLEANED POSTHASTE!”

You glance from the pristine bathroom to your host, guilt worming its way into your conscience.

“You don’t have to do that, Sans. You’ve done so much for us already…”

Your downtrodden tone sends a pang straight through Sans’ Soul, which then proceeds to push against his sternum insistently, determined to amend the cause of your sorrow. His eyelights soften as he lays a reassuring hand on your shoulder, his sweet smile unfaltering.

“WHAT ELSE ARE FRIENDS FOR? ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. AFTER ALL….There Are People Who Really Care About You.”

Dumbfounded by the sudden shift in tone, you stare at a loss for words. However, it seems that he didn’t expect a reply as he turns back, heading downstairs with the large blanket hefted over his shoulder. The crown of his skull disappears from your sight, and you’re abruptly aware of the way your heart is beating noticeably harder than normal. 

This time, you’re unable to conjure up an excuse.

You close the bathroom door once you enter, unzipping your jacket and peeling off the dirty layers of clothing. You fold them into a neatly stacked pile, taking a moment before choosing to keep your underwear with you. There was no way you were gonna borrow someone else’s undies, and you’d rather hunt down a small pond or something to wash them yourself. You go over to the bathtub-shower hybrid, twisting the knob as the faucet’s spray springs to life. It takes a bit, but you eventually figure out how to activate the showerhead. You step under the water, letting out a keening sigh of breath as the blessedly hot spray beats against you, massaging the aching muscles in your back. Content, you simply stand under the scalding water for a couple minutes. Glancing over to the shower caddy, you are greeted by an assortment of hygiene products, all of which are branded with ‘NTT’ in bold letters. Picking one up at random, you squint to read the significantly smaller print below the branding.

Bone Cologne…?

You snort, both amused and relieved that the skeleton brothers take initiative in their weird hygiene rituals. You set it back in its rightful spot, browsing through the other bottles until you come across the shampoo. Ooooh, ‘Radical Raspberry’ scented. You’re down for that.

You spend the next several minutes lathering and rinsing, relishing in the cleansing spray of hot water as you hum a nameless tune to yourself. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. You twist the knob until the heavenly cascade of water sputters to a halt. Using your hands to strain the remaining water clinging to your hair, you pull aside the shower curtain, stepping out and allowing your gaze to flick around the room until your eyes land on a clean towel draped over the wall rack. You wrap it around your nude body without hesitance, pausing when a particular question comes to mind.

_What are you supposed to wear?_

Sighing, you tuck your towel tightly enough to ensure that it wouldn't fall, picking up your pile of dirtied clothes. You slowly open the bathroom door just enough to peek through. Your eye traces the part of the hallway that's visible. It doesn't seem like anyone's around…

You open the door a little more, poking your head through the threshold between privacy and guaranteed embarrassment. Glancing down, a neatly folded stack of fabrics lies on the carpet with a sticky note placed on the top. Pushing the door enough to reach through, you switch it out for the dirtied stack in the crook of your arm, quickly shutting it afterwards. You let out a sigh of intense relief as you lean against the wood. Thank God. You really didn't want to streak through the house like some kind of hardcore drunkard. You grasp the sticky note between your fingertips, reading the pencil writing.

‘HUMAN, THESE CLOTHES SHOULD BE SERVICEABLE UNTIL I CAN RETURN YOURS TO YOUR POSSESSION. DO NOT FEAR, MY SENSE OF FASHION IS SURE TO BE THE BEST YOU COULD EVER HOPE TO COME ACROSS!

-THE MAGNIFICENT SANS’

Giggling, you set the note aside. Picking up the provided change of clothes, you pull the baggy gray t-shirt over your head, pulling the rest of your hair through as your damp locks fall against your shoulders. The darker sweatpants slip on with ease, the elastic allowing it to rest nicely on your hips despite Sans’ stockier build. You look back to the bathroom counter, uttering a small noise of confusion at the remaining cyan article of cloth. After a moment, it clicks that the cloth was actually...a bandanna?

You door clicks as you unlock it from the inside, walking out with the blue bandanna still in your grasp. Glancing to where you'd left your clothes, you note that they're no longer there. You lean over the upstairs banister, gazing down to Dakota's sprawled out form on the couch.

“Yo broseph! I think it's your turn. Get your butt up here, dude.”

Your brother releases a long, drawn-out sigh, as if the very idea of getting up was an act of cruelty. He reluctantly drags himself off the couch, padding up the stairs and past you into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. You descend the staircase, pausing as a low, mechanical rumbling reaches your ears. Turning to the source's direction, it looks like the noise is coming from behind a door built into the staircase. Jeez, you hope a wizard isn't living in there. You reach forward and curiously pull it open.

Nope, no wizards.

But there _is_ a skeleton running a load of laundry.

Sans glances over to your face at your sudden entrance. Setting down the bottle of detergent, he turns to face you.

“YOU'RE BACK! SO, HOW WAS YOUR-”

He pauses mid-sentence as he takes in your appearance. His blue eyelights shift to spinning stars as he holds up his gloved fists in utter glee, bouncing on his heels.

“OHMYSTARS, YOU LOOK FANTASTIC, FRIEND! I KNEW IT WOULD SUIT YOU WELL!”

Your cheeks heat up as you sheepishly rub the back of your neck, a nervous chuckle bubbling up.

“O-oh, uh, thanks. It's really comfy...by the way, what's this for?”

You raise the bandanna to his range of vision. Sans looks at you as if you're a goof, plucking it from your grasp with an expression that can only be translated to ‘isn't it obvious?’

“WHY, TO COMPLETE THE LOOK, OF COURSE!”

He steps directly in front of you, making a circling motion with his pointer finger. You oblige to his silent request, turning your back towards him. The rustling of fabric can be heard as Sans loosely wraps the bandanna around your neck, tying a knot securely into the back. Hearing his ‘OKAY!’ from behind, you turn back around. His eyelights roam your figure, smile shifting to something more gentle.

“YOU KNOW, ONLY THOSE AS MAGNIFICENT AS I COULD BRING OUT THE BRILLIANCE OF MY WARDROBE CHOICES. AND FRIEND….You Truly Are Magnificent.”

Any words you thought of failed to voice themselves past the growing lump in your throat. It feels like your heartbeat is nothing more than anxious flutters, warning you of the dangerous emotions that were festering within.

You might like this kind skeleton a little too much…..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't stop shoving this fluff in your face until you're choking on it. 
> 
> (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *


	11. Training Start!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick summary of why this is a whole week late. 
> 
> Apartment complex wifi can go suck an egg, I've been having a bunch of end of the quarter assessments, and sleep deprivation has made it harder to stay up long enough to pull an all-nighter.
> 
> Sorry...

Sans could see as the gears began turning in your head, seemingly recovering from your moment of stunned silence. However, you still said nothing as your eyes darted from him to the nearby wall, a faint flush of red dusting your face that he would’ve missed entirely if he hadn’t been focusing so intently on your anxious expression. Oh, how he wished he knew what you were thinking, worried that he’d said something to stress you out. Before he could question if you were alright, you quickly squeaked something about going to check on your brother, excusing yourself as you rushed out of the laundry room. Sans heaved a sigh, purposely ignoring the slight pull on his Soul that grew stronger with your retreat. He reasoned with himself that you might’ve just been overwhelmed by the compliment. 

Were you not used to praise?

If so, he’d have to make sure to do it often. Especially if it meant he got to see your cheeks darken and your sparkling eyes grow wide as they just had. With a bit of guilt, he had to admit that he found it adorable. Apart from when you were attacked, you seemed to be a rather collected person, so it made him feel a sense of pride that he was the one to induce such reactions.

The washer’s mechanical whir slowed, growing quieter to alert Sans that the load was ready to be dried. Lifting the metal washer lid, he reaches in and pulls out the bunched up masses of soggy clothing, resting them in the crook of his arm. He then shuffles over to the dryer, crouching a bit to where he could grasp the cold plastic handle and pop it open. Tossing in the bundle of wet fabrics, he stands to his full height and switches it on. A mechanical hum then fills the room as the inner workings spin with purpose. 

He should probably wake up Papyrus soon.

\-------

 

You kind of feel bad for ducking out so quickly, but the building pressure in your chest wasn’t helping your nerves as you hurried up the wooden staircase, your heart thumping loudly in your ears. The tip of your foot catches against the edge of the very last step. You’re sent forward and your stomach drops just before you manage to catch yourself against the wall. You let out a sigh of relief, resting your forehead on the cool surface, taking a minute to chill the hell out.

What’s wrong with you? You shouldn’t be getting so flustered over something like a damn compliment. He’s just being nice, so you don’t need to get your panties in a twist. Then again...Sans is a really kind person, therefore it’s understandable for anyone to already experience those happy flutters around him. It’s probably just another one of your platonic crushes, you’ve had plenty of those in your lifetime. Yeah, everything’s fine.

You still wish that weird pressure under your collarbone would go away. Rubbing at the space over your sternum, you can only compare it to a heartburn without the stabbing pains as you grimace. You don’t like it.

The silence is pierced by an abrasive creak, startling you to a proper stand as you push yourself off the wall. You turn your head towards the sound as a certain lanky skeleton trudges through a hallway door you’ve yet to see the purpose of. His room maybe? Papyrus tiredly mumbles to himself as he firmly shuts the door behind him, turning to walk in your direction before he seemingly realizes your presence, freezing in place for a moment. He quickly forces himself to relax, the tension dissolving from his stance as he offers a lazy grin. Despite being a skeleton, it appears the areas under his eyesockets are sunken in, acting similarly to how a human develops bags with sleep deprivation.

“oh, heya kid.”

Papyrus’ gaze drifts to your borrowed attire, his grin sliding into a smirk as he raises a browbone.

“cosplayin’ my brother, eh? i think i have a friend you’d get along well with.”

Shoulders stiffening, your face becomes warm again as you stuff your hands into the sweatpants pockets, purposely avoiding eye contact.

“I’m not cosplaying...Sans lent me these until mine are clean enough to wear.”

Papyrus chuckles, amused by how quickly you went on the defensive. He immediately regrets this when his subdued laughter intensifies the already-present migraine battering from within his skull. He raises a boney hand to massage his temple. Stars, he really overdid it yesterday. The arrival of you and your brother, two humans who were **not** the child who always fell before this run, only served to work him up as he played out the possible negative outcomes in his head. Naturally, he figured a few drinks at Muffet’s would ease his worries.

He lost count after his eighth round.

Papyrus’ empty sockets lingered on the familiar bandanna that rested on your neck. Bewildered by this, he wonders if Sans really trusts you so much that he left his most cherished possession in your care. Papyrus hasn’t seen him wear it since beginning his training with Alphys. A smart choice, considering how many times Sans had come home with scuffs and small rips in his clothing from their intense sparring. Still a bit suspicious, his conscience supplies that you could have just found it and put it on without his brother’s permission.

“hey, uh...where’d ya get that bandanna?”

He takes note of how you awkwardly shift your weight to your other foot, your eyes darting towards the bathroom door beside you before returning to him.

“He put it on for me, saying it’s to ‘complete the look’ or something like that.”

Doubtful, he tilts his vision and narrows his sockets ever so slightly to take a peek at your Soul. If there was one thing Papyrus was good at, it’d be sniffing out filthy liars. He can see the outline of your violet heart, but it’s pulsing erratically, seemingly attempting to tug itself from the tether of your body in a downwards motion. 

The hell? He’s seen plenty of liars, mostly the various versions of Chara, but he’s never seen them do _that._ More often than not, their Soul would fade into a darker hue as if trying to conceal their deception. However, your Soul maintains its glimmering purple, reflecting no ill intent. Nervousness, yes, but nothing disingenuous. The way it desperately pulls almost seems like…

“...you feelin’ alright, pal?”

You wince, reaching up to the tender space on your chest. To be honest, the weird pressure was growing more uncomfortable the longer you focused on it.

“Kinda. I think I have heartburn...It’s not painful, but it’s getting annoying.”

The lazy skeleton’s sockets widen a bit as he clenches his jaw. Stars fucking help him if this is a joke, because it isn’t very funny. He hopes his suspicions are mistaken. If his precious bro were to ever be Soulbound to a human….he doesn’t wanna think about what it would mean. As he continues to analyze your face, he reminds himself that humans know next-to-nothing about Souls or the intimacies and dangers associated with them. In an ideal world, you’ll never find out.

His lightless voids shift over to the bathroom door you keep glancing towards, where the sound of running water comes to an abrupt halt. Wet footfalls accompany someone’s movements as the door opens a crack, half of Dakota’s face peeking through with a towel concealing most of his frame. His grayish blue eyes dart to Papyrus for a moment and his face tightens with discomfort before mumbling in your direction.

“Sis, I don’t have anything to change into..”

You blink, wracking your head for a solution to your bro’s conundrum. The only set of clothes the both of you have are what you were wearing when you fell, and it’d be pretty difficult to find anything small enough to stay up on his slim waist….maybe he could just borrow your oversized jacket until-

“don’ worry ‘bout it. i got you covered, kiddo.”

Your thoughts are interrupted as the lazy skeleton snaps his phalanges. A red bundle suddenly appears in the empty space above his outstretched hand and falls into his boney palm. You and your brother share similar expressions of astonishment as Papyrus offers Dakota a wink, holding out the article of clothing to him.

“bring it back in one piece, kay? or don’t. doesn’t really matter to me.”

Your brother responds with such a vigorous nod that you worry his head might fall off. Taking the offering graciously through the crack in the door, Dakota smiles up at the hoodie-clad skeleton.

“I promise I will. Thanks, Mister Papyrus!”

And just like that, the door is promptly shut as Dakota retreats into the bathroom. You look over to Paps, squinting in a mix of awe and disbelief that monsters can do _so much cool shit._ Said monster glances down when he feels the weight of your stare, shifting uncomfortably under your scrutiny.

“Are you sure monsters aren’t, like, demigods or something? I just don’t understand how you do all this stuff.”

Seizing the opportunity as it presents itself, Papyrus raises his arms dramatically…

...only to do the fucking jazz hands as his cheekbones lift in a cheeky grin.

“maaaaaaaagic.”

Your murderous glare proves ineffective as your traitorous laughter bubbles in your chest. God dammit, screw this boney smartass. If he won’t take you seriously, then you’ll just ask Sans. You take a deep breath and let it out in a huff, turning away from his ‘nyeh’ing chuckles as you go down the stairs.

“nyeheheheh. whassa matter, bucko? you asked!”

You raise a hefty middle finger over your shoulder, which only serves to make him burst into wheezes above you. Shaking your head with exasperation, you skip over the last step and swing around the corner, padding over to your rucksack at the end of the couch. Bending over, you dig through the assorted items sent with you, just to check your Inventory. You hadn’t really bothered to do so when you were looking for the Cider, so you figured now would be a good time to get it out of the way while Sans was still doing laundry.

Hm, let’s see here….two sets of gloves, a few handfuls of Monster Candy, along with quite a number of other healing items you’ve yet to learn the names of. Just as you’re about to take your hand back out, your fingers brush against a thin surface. Raising an eyebrow curiously, you pull it from the bottom of the bag for inspection. In your grasp lies a small pouch, which you carefully open to reveal an assortment of teabags and a folded scrap of paper. The faint yet pleasant scent that greets you kinda reminds you of the tea Asgore made.

Asgore…

You remove the paper slip as you set the bag onto a nearby coffee table. Unfolding the small note, you find that it’s graced with eloquently curled writing that could only be described as regal.

**‘My children,**

**Hopefully the supplies I have provided will be of use to you. There are no doubts in my heart that you will find whatever it is you are looking for. I love you both dearly. Please, be safe.**

**Sincerely,**

**Asgore’**

You blink a few times as a wetness registers on your cheek. Reaching up, you quickly rub it away with the back of your hand. God, you miss that old goat. If it were just you who’d fallen, you’re fairly certain that you would’ve been content to stay with him in that little house that exuded warmth, living out your days with the kind of father figure you wish your dad could be. You just...you’re so overwhelmed by the sheer gravity of everything. You don’t even know if you _can_ get back to the surface, but you have to. For both your brother and the monsters who’ve been down here for who knows how long. Gazing down at the note, your mind recalls that old book you read in the Ruins.

‘Seven human Souls’....

How many have they already gathered..?

The door to the laundry room swings open, causing you to nearly jump out of your skin from the sudden interruption. You let out a breath as you will your heartbeat back to a pace that won’t induce a heart attack. Stuffing the note in your pocket for safekeeping, you turn towards Sans, who quickly goes over to you with a pile of your folded clothes in his outstretched arms.

“HERE YOU GO! I APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING SO LONG, BUT I WANTED TO BE PRECISE IN ELIMINATING ALL WRINKLES.”

You gratefully accept them as he passes the pile to you, and you can confirm that there doesn’t seem to be a crease in sight. 

“Wow, thanks so much! I appreciate it.”

“MWEH HEH HEH, IT WAS NOTHING FOR ONE AS GREAT AS I AM!”

He rushes over to the front door, swiftly putting on his blue boots. You tilt your head in confusion. Is he going somewhere..? The skeleton seems to notice your gaze, raising a browbone as he places his gloved hands on his hips.

“YOU’RE GOING TO NEED TO PUT ON SOMETHING WARM IF YOU WISH TO LAST EVEN A MINUTE IN TODAY’S TRAINING.”

Scrunching your eyebrows, you can feel as your face shifts to befuddlement.

“R-right now?”

He nods with the happy smile that barely contains his anticipation. Sighing, you stuff everything but your old hoodie into the rucksack, slipping your arms into the sleeves as Sans holds the door open for you. You grasp the zipper and pull it up halfway, the silky bandanna still resting against your collarbone while you walk outside, Sans following closely behind. He shuts the door securely, ensuring that whatever heat remained inside wouldn’t slip out into the frosty air. You let out an experimental puff of air, watching as it visibly billows up and away from you.

“FIRST THINGS FIRST, WE SHALL WORK ON YOUR ENDURANCE!”

He gestures to the snowy town that surrounds you, where it seems only a few stray monsters are hanging around outside, most of which are wrapped up in their passing conversations. 

“YOU’RE GOING TO RUN LAPS THROUGH THE TOWN UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE, AND I WILL BE RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE IN MORAL SUPPORT!”

You look over to him with slight exasperation.

“Can you tell me how many?”

Sans shakes his head vehemently.

“OF COURSE NOT! IF I DID, YOU WOULDN’T BE GIVING IT YOUR ALL TO THE VERY END!”

You release a defeated sigh. What the hell have you gotten yourself into?

\-------

 

Holy fubberknuckle, everything hurts.

You’re wheezing for breath already, and it’s only your third time around for God’s sake! Sans is keeping pace with you effortlessly, giving you continuous motivation as you push your burning legs to keep running.

“COME ON, (Y/N)! I BELIEVE IN YOU!”

At least somebody does.

“I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!”

No, you can’t.

“YOU CAN DO BETTER, EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK SO!”

You’re not worth his time.

“NO MATTER WHAT, YOU MUST KEEP GOING!”

You really don’t want to. It hurts.

“YOU’RE DOING GREAT, JUST A LITTLE FARTHER! GIVE IT YOUR ALL!”

But despite everything, you will **Persevere.**

\-------

 

It’s safe to say that you have a long way to go before mastering the art of pacing yourself. The moment Sans loudly proclaimed your completion of the endurance regimen, you collapsed into the snow, desperately gasping to reclaim oxygen to your heaving lungs. Sans kneels by your slumped form, rubbing your back encouragingly as he looks down to you with endearment. Stars, he’s so proud of you! He knows that his exercises can get rather extensive in comparison to other workouts, so it left him astonished that you’d pushed yourself through all thirty laps without faltering. Not that he didn’t think you could do it, of course, but it appears humans are just as determined as the old tales say. 

“YOU DID SO WELL, FRIEND. NOW, ONCE YOU ARE READY, WE CAN MOVE ON FROM THE WARM-UP AND LET THE REAL FUN BEGIN!”

His hand retreats from your back as you shoot up to look over to Sans with eyes as wide as saucers. It takes a lot of self-control to hide his snickers at your priceless expression.

“That was just a warm-up?!”

The skeleton’s smile quirks up a bit from your outburst of exasperated energy.

“INDEED.”

Sans outstretches a gloved hand to you, and his Soul flutters as you place your hand in his own. He pulls you to your feet, hesitant to let go until you release his hand of your own accord. You dust the snow off your borrowed sweatpants, and Sans can’t help but admire the way your hooded jacket accentuates his own tastes in clothing choice, blending to create a new manner of its own that just….fit.

~~_Maybe he’ll let you keep them._ ~~

He breaks away from his slippery train of thought when he realizes you’re gazing towards him expectantly. Oh. Right. Training. Yeah, you two should probably start on that. Purposely ignoring the building flush in his cheekbones, he clears his nonexistent throat.

“R-RIGHT. SO! FOR THE REMAINDER OF TODAY’S TRAINING, YOU AND I WILL FOCUS ON HONING YOUR SKILLS IN DODGING. DO YOU THINK YOU’RE UP FOR THAT?”

You take a deep breath before offering a resolute nod. 

“FANTASTIC! I SUPPOSE WE SHOULD NOT WASTE ANY TIME THEN.”

The skeleton gets into position, facing you from nearly twenty feet away as he raises his arm in front of him. Reaching outward, he shivers when his magic wraps around your Soul’s presence, its familiar tingle leaving a strange buzzing in his chest. Ugh, focus for goodness sake! Now’s not the time for Sans to be getting distracted. Closing his boney hand into a fist, he eases it towards him, coaxing out your Soul. The area surrounding the both of you flickers into an expanse of pure monochrome as a purple glow phases from your chest. You appear to be panicked at first, likely remembering that Encounter you had in Snowdin Forest. However, you soon calm yourself as you look towards Sans, awaiting further instruction. He should probably start with the basics, just to make sure you’re aware of what’s going on.

“THIS IS WHAT IS KNOWN AS AN ENCOUNTER. IT IS HOW US MONSTERS TYPICALLY ENGAGE IN COMBAT, USING THE FOUR BUTTONS TO PERFORM AN ACTION WHEN IT IS OUR TURN.”

Glancing down to the yellow glow in front of him, he notes that he has the first turn.

“I AM GOING TO RELEASE MY MOST BASIC ATTACK, AND I WANT YOU TO DODGE THEM TO YOUR BEST ABILITY! READY?”

Your expression is laced with worry, but you nod anyways. This is already bringing back some unpleasant memories...but you trust Sans, probably more than you should. You watch as Sans squares his stance, a small wave of bones emerging from the ground as he thrusts out his gloved hand. The individual bones surge in your direction, forcing you to quickly weave through the spaces between them. There could’ve only been around eight of them, but the thick poles of calcium that nearly reached your height were still terrifying to face head on. Sans sends out wave after wave of bone attacks, each one slightly differing from the last as they grew more complex in pattern. You dodge and twist around the oncoming obstructions, but you find yourself quickly becoming exhausted, huffing for air between attacks. A lock of your hair flies into your vision, and you internally curse yourself for forgetting to tie it back. Pushing away the hair, your eyes flick up to Sans’ face, who seems to be in deep concentration. 

He purposely avoids looking at your Soul. 

Speaking of which, you find it strange how your violet culmination has been acting throughout the Encounter. As it hovers in front of your chest with your quickly-timed weaves around bone attacks, you feel a slight magnetism that keeps trying to lure you forward. It’s also been steadily pulsing for a while, slowly growing in brightness before fading to normal again. You scramble for answers, but you’ve got nothing. All you know is that it sure as hell wasn’t acting like this when you fought the snowbird. Distracted by your thoughts, you snap back to attention when a large bone is coming straight for you, mere inches away. Violently flinching, you raise your arms to brace over your head, preparing yourself for the pain.

……

N-nothing happened…?

You slowly lower your arms, looking over your shoulder to see that the bone passed right through you as it fades away. Thoroughly confused, you return your attention to Sans, who seems to have stopped launching his barrages as his sockets widen in concern. Your chest feels full again as color returns to the landscape, the usually excitable skeleton quickly closing the distance between the two of you as he worriedly checks you over for physical signs of injury.

“OH GOLLY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT, FRIEND?! YOU’RE NOT FEELING SORE, ARE YOU? I’M SORRY IF THAT WAS TOO MUCH-”

You interrupt his ramblings as you raise your hands in a placating gesture.

“I-I’m fine, really…..that was actually what I’m wondering about though. The attack landed, so why didn’t it hurt..?”

Sans seems only a little surprised by your question, his blue eyelights focusing on your orbs as his concerned frown melts into a soft smile. He reaches up to brush away the rebellious strands of hair from your face and answers as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“SIMPLE. IT’S BECAUSE I HAD NO INTENT TO HARM YOU.”

Once again, you’re left speechless as your face heats up, hyperaware of your proximity. Shit, you need to change the subject. He’ll start thinking you’re weird if you just stare like a dead fish, that is, if he doesn’t already. Scrambling for something- anything- you blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

“What’s past Snowdin?”

Sans blinks, caught off guard by your abrupt change in demeanor. That is, until he recalls your disappearing act back in the house. Though he’s not quite sure what could’ve gotten you so frantic this time. After all, he was only speaking the truth. Even if one wanted to, it would be physically impossible to intentionally harm the Soul they resonate with, especially with magic. He gestures to the outstretching direction that tapers off to a foggy mist in the distance.

“WELL, I SUPPOSE THAT WOULD BE WATERFALL JUST OVER THAT WAY….WHY DO YOU ASK?”

Nudging at the snow underfoot, your hands retreat to the warmth of your jacket pockets.

“Eventually, Dakota and I are gonna have to keep moving. I guess I just wanna be prepared for what’s ahead.”

That didn’t sit well with Sans, his Soul flipping anxiously in his ribcage, rejecting the very notion of you leaving. If you left, you could get hurt! The image of your battered form as you helplessly cradled your brother’s unconscious body flickers through his skull, causing the anxious flips to devolve into a sinking dread. His eyesockets crease in worry as a dozen reasons for you to stay flit about.

“BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE YET! YOU’VE JUST BARELY STARTED YOUR TRAINING, AND YOU’RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO STAY WITH US FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIKE.”

You let out a sigh, looking down to the snow-coated ground as you rub the back of your neck, guilt gnawing at your gut. 

“I guess you’re right, I _do_ want to improve with the training, but that doesn’t change the fact that we can’t mooch off you forever. I don’t want us to be a burden.”

You’d sooner bathe in acid than let yourself become a liability again.

Blue enters your line of sight, a gloved hand gently lifting your chin until you’re gazing into those hope-filled lights.

“YOU AND YOUR BROTHER COULD NEVER BE A BURDEN TO US. DON’T THINK SUCH THINGS OF YOURSELF, (Y/N). PAPY AND I CARE ABOUT YOU BOTH, EVEN IF THE LAZYBONES DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO SHOW IT. YOU’RE OUR HUMAN FRIENDS NOW, AND FRIENDS ARE THERE FOR EACH OTHER! AND TO PROVE IT….”

You squeal as Sans wraps his arms around your plush waist and lifts you into a twirling embrace.

“FRIENDSHIP HUG!”

Your high-pitched squeak of surprise builds into a hysteric string of giggling laughs. He’s laughing along with you, his baritone ‘MWEH HEH HEH’s resonating through the winter breeze. 

Your chest has never felt lighter.


	12. Scare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally jumped at the chance to get this posted when our wifi stayed on for longer than fifteen minutes.

As you and Sans were training outside, Papyrus seized the chance to skip work without being scolded, lounging on the couch with closed eyesockets and his groggy thoughts to accompany him. He was still apprehensive of the trouble you might bring, but you didn't seem like the type to outright attack his brother, so he'd leave you be for now. 

From somewhere off to his right, quiet shuffling reached the skeleton's hearing as someone seemed to hesitantly move closer. He finally peeks open one of his eyesockets when the other end of the couch slightly dips under their weight. Dakota had sat down, apparently trying to keep his presence muted so that he wouldn't bother Papyrus. Glancing over and realizing his eyes were open, the boy offered an apologetic grimace.

"Sorry, Mister Papyrus. I didn't mean to wake you up..."

Observing how your brother nervously picked at a loose thread on the borrowed red hoodie that seemed to nearly engulf him, Paps noted with satisfaction that it'd probably shelter the skinny child from a blizzard if need be. A pair of sweatpants that hadn't fit Papyrus in years poked out from under the knee-length hoodie, successfully covering Dakota's skin down to the ankle. Good thing he never bothered to toss them out. The skeleton shrugged.

"you're fine, kiddo. couldn't sleep anyway."

A sudden glimmer shone in those gray-blue eyes, and Paps wondered what was on his mind as Dakota looked up towards him.

"Does that mean you're....’bone’ tired?"

A low chuckle was his only answer, and your brother's expression lit up in a way akin to a Gyftmas tree. The kid might as well have declared war, because there was no way Papyrus would relinquish his position as Punmaster without a struggle.

"heh, good one, but it could use some work ‘tibia’ honest."

"I've got a ‘skele-ton’ more, wanna hear them?"

"only if they're ‘humerus."

At some point in the back-and-forth of overused jokes, Dakota turned to fully face his opponent, sitting on his knees as his smile grew in excitement.

"Why did the skeleton cross the road?"

Papyrus already knew this one, but he played along, unwilling to spoil the kid's fun. Honestly, Dakota's unbridled joy was getting a little infectious as the skeleton's grin involuntarily hitched up at the side.

"dunno, why?"

"To get to the body shop!"

Reaching up, Papyrus tapped his mandible, acting as though he was in deep thought before turning back to the child with a wink.

"what does a french skeleton call his friend?"

Dakota seemed to mull it over, fruitlessly attempting to figure out the punchline. He shrugs with a clueless look, and Papyrus' grin widens.

"bone’ ami."

Realization flashed in Dakota's orbs, his mouth forming a small 'oh' before he was gripped by his bubbling laughter, shaking his entire frame. Chuckling, Paps leaned back against the couch with a leg crossed over his knee.

"nyeheheh, looks like m'still the joke king. buuuuuut..."

Dakota soon regained control over his wheezing breaths, tilting his head curiously.

"you did pretty well to last against me that long, so i think you deserve a title too."

Intrigued, Dakota looked up at the lazy skeleton with building anticipation.

"Really?! Like what?"

Reaching over to the table without looking, Papyrus picked up his trusty jokebook. Sitting up straight, he clears his nonexistent throat as he formally held the book.

"dakota the human."

The boy appeared beyond confused, but he went along with it as Papyrus lightly tapped each of Dakota's shoulders with the spine of the jokebook, similar to how one would be knighted by royalty.

"from this point forth, you shall be known as...."

It was so difficult for Papyrus to keep a straight face

"...the legendary fartmaster."

The indignant look that quickly spread over Dakota's expression was priceless, sending the lazy skeleton into a fit of loud guffaws.

"Am not!"

Gasping between his laughter, Paps struggled to keep his voice from ascending to that nasally pitch he always hated.

"Snrk-you are! It's-heheheh-it’s official now, buckaroo."

 

Before Dakota could retort that he was so _not_ a fartmaster, the front door creaked open to announce your return. You seemed exhausted as you trudged through the doorway, red-faced and still trying to calm your residual giggles. Sans was right behind you, looking over towards his out-of-breath brother with a raised browbone.

"YOU DECIDED TO STAY HOME, PAPY? OTHER HUMANS COULD PASS THROUGH AT ANY TIME, YOU KNOW."

Papyrus scratched at the back of his skull, offering an indifferent shrug.

"eh, i figured we could use a day off. 'sides, it's not likely another human's gonna be comin' through so soon."

Sans shouldn't be surprised. It wasn't unusual for his brother to shirk his duties as a sentry. However....he found it odd that he stayed home. On an average day, Papyrus would sneak away to Muffet's for who knows how long, draining the spider monster's honey supply until she cut him off. There was more than one occasion that Muffet had called Sans to take him back to the house, Papyrus being unable to stand on his own without falling over and mumbling incoherently about ‘damn phoney clones.’

Those days were rougher than others.

Sans glanced over to Dakota, who seemed to be a little irritated while he attempted to suppress the smile that still lingered from their earlier joking. As his blue eyelights flicked between the two younger siblings, it finally clicked in his skull.

Aww, they're getting along! Their friendship was surely blossoming from terrible humor, but it made Sans happy regardless. Chuckling good-naturedly, he struts to the kitchen to get a head start on dinner.

"MWEH HEH HEH! WHATEVER YOU SAY, BROTHER."

 

Unphased by the strange interaction, Paps takes his cue to slump back into the cushions. You walk over by your brother’s side to look down at him curiously, observing the unidentifiable glint in his eyes as he occasionally sends a sharp gaze towards the lazy skeleton.

“What’s got you so huffy, shortstack?”

Dakota looks like he’s about to answer, but Papyrus beats him to it.

“didn’t ya hear? he’s the legendary fartmaster, show some respect.”

You snort behind your hand as Dakota crosses his arms, mumbling under his breath.

“I did _not_ agree to this.”

You can feel as a mischievous smirk makes its way to your face. 

“Dunno, broseph, sounds pretty legit to me. Can you ever forgive me for my transgressions, oh legendary fartmaster?”

Paps chuckles from his reclined position. Puffing out his cheeks, your brother reaches over to pick up one of the throw pillows, slapping you in the arm with a dull ‘fwump!’ Giggling, you raise your hands to defend yourself.

“Oh noooo, his power! It's too much for my mortal body to handle!”

You dramatically fall over the arm of the couch, feigning defeat as your back traps Dakota's legs underneath. He tries to push you off, but it doesn't do much.

“C'mon sis, let me up!”

You crack open an eyelid.

“Can't, I'm dead. You've killed me.”

Groaning, your brother looks over to Papyrus with a pleading gaze. 

“Help? Please?”

The lazy skeleton takes a second to hum thoughtfully, then offers a wink.

“sure thing, pal.”

Paps drags himself off the couch and takes a couple of steps to stand in front of your ‘dead’ body. You look over to him and narrow your eyes in suspicion. 

“What are you doing?”

The smirk he gives only serves to raise alarms in your head.

“helping.”

Before you could scramble out of the way, he drops to sit on your stomach, knocking the wind out of you. Dakota lets out a groan as more weight is added onto his legs, making it impossible for him to move more than a couple of centimeters in any direction. Papyrus settles on top of the human-skeleton dogpile, using your forehead as an armrest. You grumble as his baggy sleeve drapes over your eyes, obscuring your sight from anything beyond the orange fabric. Your brother complains from his prison, also rather unhappy with the circumstances.

“This isn't what I meant!”

The skeleton chuckles as you repeatedly try to shove him off. Goddamn it, bones can't possibly be this heavy!

“you should've been more specific. i ain't a mind reader.”

Huffing an exhausted breath of defeat, your arms fall limply to your sides as you glare into the hoodie sleeve, hoping it would catch fire.

“If we suffocate, I blame you.”

An enunciated ‘AHEM’ comes from somewhere off to the side. It successfully catches Papyrus and Dakota’s attention as they glance over to its source, but you don’t need your vision to recognize who it is. Though you can’t see it, Sans is looking towards the three of you with perplexed amusement. He had tried to tune out the ruckus in favor of making the final touches on dinner extra special to reward you for your hard work today, but the continued sounds of playful bickering eventually got the best of his curiosity. He wasn’t really sure what he was expecting, but it certainly didn’t account for his lanky brother sitting atop a stack of conquered human houseguests. 

“PAPYRUS, WHY ARE YOU USING OUR FRIENDS AS A FLESH CUSHION? SURELY THIS IS CONSIDERED JUST AS RUDE ON THE SURFACE AS IT IS HERE!”

“really? coulda sworn this was how they greeted folks, ‘butt’ i suppose i’ve been wrong before.”

A wheezed giggle comes from your brother. Trapped or not, it was still pretty funny. Sans didn’t seem to think the same, pointing the wooden spatula in his hand towards Papyrus.

“NO. BAD. NO PUNS BEFORE DINNER; ESPECIALLY NOT ONES IN SUCH BAD TASTE.”

With your face still covered by Papyrus’ oddly-scented sleeve, you snap fingerguns in the general direction of Sans’ voice.

“Ayyyyyy.”

Realizing his mistake, the excitable skeleton’s expression morphs to horror.

“OH NO, I’VE BEEN TAINTED!”

\-------

 

It took a little longer than Sans had hoped to set out the plates for supper, as it was impossible to convince Papyrus to move from his perch. He ended up having to physically pick him up and move him to the other side of the couch, an impressive feat considering his brother’s significantly taller frame. He doesn’t think he’ll ever forget how your jaw nearly dropped to the floor, staring wide-eyed as you attempted to comprehend its possibility. Sans had simply winked, giving you a confident reassurance.

“IF YOU EVER NEED SAVING AGAIN, I’M THE SKELETON FOR THE JOB!”

And stars, did he mean it.

Right now, the younger siblings and yourself are sitting around the kitchen table as Sans gracefully placed the ceramic dishes at each set spot. Dakota can hardly contain himself when Sans puts his down against the tabletop, excited by the very prospect of tasting the skeleton’s cooking again as he looks up to him with a smile.

“Thank you, Mister Sans!”

The skeleton monster chuckles.

“DON’T THANK ME YET, YOU HAVEN’T EVEN SEEN THE BEST PART!”

You squint with mild confusion. Best part? What did that even mean? You stare intently at the tacos as Sans sets down your plate. They look just as delectable as the other ones he’s made, but something seems off.

“They’re...shiny?”

Papyrus wastes no time in picking up his taco, crunching into it as he mumbles around his food.

“yeah, my bro uses glitter on special occasions.”

….how is he able to say that as he’s eating it? The last time you checked, people don’t eat glitter. You glance over to Sans for answers. He perks up, puffing out his chest in pride.

“THAT IS CORRECT! IT IS MY SUPER SECRET RECIPE FOR EDIBLE GLITTER, MADE ENTIRELY OF SUGAR AND NTT BRAND FOOD COLORING! NEAT, RIGHT?”

You take a deep breath to hold down any giggles, afraid that you might bust a gut at this rate. 

“Y-yeah. It sounds incredible, Sans. I can’t wait to try it!”

Sans grins triumphantly with a small flush of blue in his cheekbones. He is quick to make his own plate and join everybody else at the table, watching your reaction eagerly as you raise the taco to your mouth to take your first bite. His Soul flips in his ribcage as your eyes light up in pleasant shock from the complementing spices, and he won’t deny that he spent most of the meal sneaking glances towards you as you heartily munched away. Dakota seemed content as well, humming happily with each bite.

As he watched you, he noticed a strange shift in your behavior over the next few minutes. You had begun slowing down in your zealous eating rather quickly. Tilting his skull ever so slightly, it appeared as if you were steadily growing more uncomfortable. Was something wrong? Did you perhaps have an allergy he wasn’t aware of? Before any of his questions could be voiced, you took a sharp inhale and bent forward, clutching your stomach with a small groan. Papyrus just seemed puzzled as he gazed towards you with an uncertain grimace. Your brother swallowed his mouthful of food, looking over to you in worry. 

“Sis, are you okay?”

You’re quick to wave him off.

“I’m fine, broseph. I just...I think I might be cramping up.”

You stare off for nearly a full minute, clearly debating something with yourself as your face tightened.

“Uh, y’know what? I’m just gonna go to the bathroom real quick.”

The chair squeaks against the linoleum when you stand, your form soon disappearing as you make a beeline upstairs. Blinking, Papyrus slowly turns his skull to Sans.

“...maybe you should check up on her. somethin’ don’t seem right.”

_As if he needed convincing._

Sans springs from his place at the table, nearly sprinting up the stairs to make sure you were alright. He had actually almost burst in through the bathroom door until he forced himself to stop at the last moment, his gloved hand frozen in its reach for the handle. Now that he thinks about it, it would probably be a very bad idea to barge through a _bathroom door_ of all things. Clenching his hand into a fist, he opts to knock on the wood, leaning towards it in an attempt to hear what’s going on within.

“(Y/N)..? ARE YOU ALRIGHT, FRIEND? WAS IT MY TACOS THAT UPSET YOU?”

Your voice is muffled through the door, though it also seems a bit weak.

“Don’t worry about it, m’fine. It’s got nothing to do with the food either….s’just a human thing.”

As you spoke, Sans leaned in even further to make out what you were saying. A sudden whiff of something metallic assaults his nasal passage, and he recoils back in shock.

What in Toriel’s name was _that?_

“PARDON ME IF I AM MISTAKEN, BUT I DON’T RECALL METAL BEING INVOLVED IN ‘HUMAN THINGS.’ WHAT IS GOING ON IN THERE?”

Sans presses the side of his skull to the door, desperate to figure out what was up with you. If he doesn’t know, then how is he supposed to help? It could’ve been his imagination, but it sounded like you had mumbled ‘god, he can smell that?’ You release a heavy sigh.

“That’s not metal, Sans. That would be blood.”

You were bleeding?!? That stuff was supposed to stay on the inside, wasn’t it?! His baritone voice came out rather panicked.

“HUMAN FRIEND, YOU ARE NOT DYING, ARE YOU?!”

You huff once, cautious to not aggravate your pulsating uterine muscles.

“Not even close, don’t worry. I had these pills I took on the surface to regulate my hormones, but I haven’t been able to since we fell down here a few days ago. I should’ve expected my cycle to come early. Just slipped my mind, I guess…”

 **Oh, thanks the stars.** Sans lets out a breath of immense relief. Okay, so you’re not dying. That’s a good thing to know. However, he still can’t comprehend how such a thing can be normal to you. Mulling over your words, a particular one causes his thoughts to come to a screeching halt.

Cycle….Like a heat cycle? If so, he’d have to make sure to give you space until it blew over. For all he knows, it could drag him into an early heat, which he’d rather avoid. If there was one thing that must never be done, it’s to have a synchronized heat when nothing is established between the resonating pair. His instinctual drive has already been driving him bonkers, heavily prompting Sans to be around you when he can. He can’t risk his usually-manageable primal urges taking the reigns...

“O-OH, WELL, YOU COULD HAVE JUST TOLD ME YOU WERE GOING INTO YOUR HEAT CYCLE. IT’S A PERFECTLY NATURAL THING THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE ASHAMED OF!”

You utter a sound of confusion, speaking in a slow and careful tone.

“Sans, humans don’t have heats....it’s just my period. Heats are more of a cat and dog thing, aren’t they?”

Oh.

Well, that’s both a relief and a new worry of its own as Sans realizes just how little he understands about how you work. Stars, if he thought a normal thing meant you were dying, what else would he misinterpret? What if you or your brother were actually ill while he’s completely oblivious to it?

Wait...

Undyne. Of course! She’s smart, and she has a much wider expanse of human knowledge than both of the skeleton brothers put together. Surely she would know if something was putting either of you in immediate danger. If he brings you two in for an evaluation, then she could send you off with a clean bill of health and put his mind at ease! And maybe...

Maybe he could learn more about you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh golly gee, here come the cliches-


	13. Evaluation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **w h e e z e**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> finallygotitout

You stand up from the porcelain throne, grasping your underwear and borrowed sweatpants to pull them back to your hips. It takes a second, but you soon adjust to the makeshift pad you had made out of toilet paper; a handy trick for emergencies of this nature, even if it’s not a long-term fix. Luckily, most of your cramping has subsided for now, only leaving a residual soreness in your abdomen. From Sans and Papyrus’ reactions, you deduce that either periods aren’t a thing monsters have to deal with, or the skeleton brothers have just never encountered feminine problems before. Pfft, that dork, thinking you were in ‘heat’. He was probably confusing female body functions for what animals have to go through.

...Then again, you haven’t seen any actual animals down here. At least, not any that weren’t monsters…

You let out a long breath, lacking the determination to follow that train of thought any further. You should go downstairs and grab your own clothes before you end up leaving a blood stain on Sans’ sweatpants anyway. Too many of your panty-drawer soldiers have fallen prey over the years, and you can’t afford to lose the only pair you have. 

Tiredly grumbling out half-formed complaints, you reach out and open the bathroom door, briefly forgetting the presence of a certain troubled skeleton on the other side. That is, until you’re suddenly swept off your feet, eliciting a startled yelp from you as your arms fly up to wrap around bony shoulders to steady yourself. Confused, you look up to Sans, who has one arm against your back and the other under your legs, effectively holding you bridal style. 

“Uh, Sans? What are you doing?”

The edges around his eyesockets still hold that soft kindness you’ve come to associate with him, but his smile is tight with worry.

“YOU ARE CLEARLY UNWELL, SO I WILL TAKE IT UPON MYSELF TO ENSURE YOUR COMFORT UNTIL YOU FEEL BETTER!”

He begins to stride toward the stairs, your hold on him tightening as your eyes widen in slight panic. A helpless sense of weightlessness paired with the thought of falling sends your heart into a flurry of nerves.

“I-I can walk on my own!”

Your anxiety-laced tone seems to grab his attention as he pauses just before the first step, meeting your eyes. Sans’ tight smile shifts to something more reassuring.

“I PROMISE I WON’T DROP YOU, (Y/N).”

Before you can protest further, he takes the first step to your descent. A jolt of fear grips you, and you bury your head into his gray shirt, tightly squeezing your eyes shut so that you don’t have to look down. God, you’re being such a wimp and you know it. However, that doesn’t make the feeling of your heart leaping into your throat every time Sans takes a careful step any less real. Being carried like this is just so _foreign_ to you, and you’re not sure how to feel about it.

The skeleton’s blue eyelights flick down to your face, tightly screwed with preparation for a fall that won’t come as you hold onto him for dear life. Your mind seemed to be running more on anxiousness than anything else, as he’d already proved to you that he was capable of lifting his own brother with no issues. The way you’re clutching to him sends a surge of protectiveness through him, subconsciously urging Sans to hold you closer. 

Soon enough, the wood under his skeletal feet is replaced by carpeting as he takes the last step. Sensing this, the tension in your form visibly loosens and you force yourself to relieve your tight grip on his shoulders. Lifting your head from where you’d tucked it against Sans’ chest, you sheepishly glace away.

“Okay, we’re downstairs. Can you put me down now, please?”

He chuckles in response, and you don’t have to look up at him to know that he’s wearing that damn cheeky grin that never fails to send your heart racing.

“OH? DOES THE FAIR MAIDEN NOT WISH TO BE TREATED AS ONE?”

_What._

Something in your chest tugs. You can feel your face heat up as you cover it with your hands, grumbling out an exaggerated noise that can only be described as mortification. His chest shakes against you with laughter.

“MWEH HEH HEH! ALRIGHT, IF YOU INSIST.”

Sparing you from further embarrassment, Sans pads over to the couch and gently sets you down. You make a move to stand up, but pause when your self-declared caregiver lifts a hand to stop you.

“AH-AH-AH, YOU’RE GOING TO STAY THERE AND RELAX WHILE I MAKE A QUICK PHONE CALL TO A FRIEND OF MINE. UNDERSTOOD?”

Raising an eyebrow, you allow yourself to drop back against the cushions. It might be risky to ask about the subject of his personal call, but you want to make sure he doesn’t blab about having humans in his home to anybody dangerous.

“May I ask what about?”

Sans reaches into his pocket, pulling out a rather old-looking flip phone, gray and coated in scuffs from long-time use. Christ, your only living grandfather doesn’t even use something that old anymore. However, it kinda makes sense that a species under a mountain wouldn’t have access to the latest technology. 

“MY FRIEND IS A HIGHLY-REGARDED SCIENTIST, ONE WITH MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGE OF HUMANS THAN PAPYRUS OR MYSELF.”

His gloved phalanges punch in a memorized sequence of numbers before he raises the phone to where his ear would be, meeting your eyes as he waits for his friend to pick up. For some reason, it feels like he’s trying to hide something vulnerable in the glimmer of his eyelights.

“THERE COULD BE A HUNDRED THINGS PUTTING YOU AND YOUR BROTHER’S HEALTH AT RISK, BUT I WOULD HAVE NO IDEA U-UNTIL….”

His voice cracks, and your eyes widen, stunned that he’d be so affected by seemingly nothing. You and Dakota were fine, right? At least, you think so. Sans clears his nonexistent throat, moving past the unspoken fear of a loss neither of you want to think about.

“I JUST WISH TO MAKE SURE YOU TWO ARE HEALTHY, AND UNDYNE IS FOND OF HUMAN CULTURE. I HAVE NO DOUBTS THAT YOU ARE SAFE WITH HER.”

You hear an automated beep from his phone, and his expression lights up. If there’s any trace of that previous dread, Sans is pretty good at covering it up. For all you know, that’s where Papyrus got it from...or Sans got it from Papyrus, depending on who’s the older sibling. Maybe you could ask later.

“AH, DOCTOR UNDYNE! I’M SO GLAD YOU PICKED UP.”

And he sure was. Before he knew it, his explanation to you became heavy with emotion as his fears took hold of him. The very last thing Sans wanted was to cause you unneeded stress. Undyne’s groggy voice crackles through the worn speaker, seemingly having just woke up from a nap. Hopefully he doesn’t have to lecture her about proper sleep-scheduling again.

“Nggh….Sans..? Uh, wh-what do you need?”

“I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING YOUR MUCH NEEDED SLEEP, BUT THIS IS URGENT. I HAVE TWO FRIENDS STAYING WITH MY BROTHER AND I, AND I WAS HOPING WE COULD BRING THEM IN. IF YOU AREN’T TOO BUSY, OF COURSE!”

He chose not to mention that you and Dakota were humans, but knowing Undyne, he probably didn’t need to. She had an unfortunate habit of using the Underground’s surveillance footage for her own entertainment. The last time he stopped by to check on her, Sans caught her in the middle of angrily stuffing her face with microwaved noodles, yelling at recordings of a pair of armored guards to ‘flipping kiss already, you adorkable beans!’ 

Rushed shuffling is followed by a dull ‘thud’, and the scientist suddenly sounds much more awake.

“W-wait, you don’t mean…? Um, y-yeah! Bring them in, the sooner the better!”

Her confirmation brings a wave of relief through his Soul. Undyne seems pretty excited to meet you as well, which is good! If all goes to plan, then most of his friends will be quick to accept you and Dakota as allies, and everyone will be happy! 

Stars, he hopes so.

“FANTASTIC! WE SHALL BE THERE POSTHASTE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UNDYNE!”

The fish doctor mumbles out a sheepish ‘you’re welcome’ just before hanging up. Flipping his phone shut, he stuffs it back into his pocket as he looks over to you. You’re fiddling with your hands, likely a bit apprehensive of meeting someone new.

“So uh….when do we go to talk to this friend of yours?”

Wasting no time, Sans goes over and scoops you into his hold similarly to how he did earlier, earning another surprised squeak from you as he offers a wide grin.

“RIGHT NOW.”

He cranes his skull towards the kitchen.

“BROTHER! DAKOTA! WE’RE ALL HEADING OUT! CAN YOU COME OUT HERE, PLEASE?”

You let out a sigh, submitting to your fate. Dakota walks in through the doorway, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his borrowed hoodie. Pausing, he realizes his mistake and slowly lowers his arm. Papyrus trudges in after him and chuckles, ruffling Dakota’s short hair.

“don’t worry ‘bout it, kiddo. i’ve done the same to that thing more times than i can count.”

Dakota’s posture loosens in relief as Paps looks over to you and Sans. Seeing you in his brother’s arms, he raises a browbone. Your brother follows his line of sight, bursting into giggles at your predicament.

“break your leg up there?”

You give the lazy skeleton a deadpan expression, which isn’t nearly as effective as you’d hoped when you’re being held like a damsel in distress.

“I said I was fine, but he won’t let me walk on my own.”

He glances from you to Sans, his browbone hitching up further. Papyrus continues to glance between the two of you before shrugging.

“welp, guess we’re doing this.”

The tall skeleton crouches, looking over to your brother and motioning to his offered back.

“hop on, fartmaster.”

Dakota looks excited and offended at the same time, but he seems to let the former take over. Climbing onto Papyrus, he’s cautious not to let his foot slip into anywhere it might get stuck. He settles, clutching onto the skeleton monster’s shoulders. Huffing, Papyrus stands back up, your brother now perched on his back as he turns to you and Sans.

“alright. where to, bro?”

Sans gazes up at his little brother with admiration. Only someone as cool as Papyrus would be so readily willing to help. He allows a grateful smile to take its place on his skull.

“UNDYNE’S.”

\-------

 

God, you’ll never get used to teleporting.

The first thing you processed after you all rematerialized was the sudden wave of humidity, making the air in your lungs feel grossly warm. The second was the pain in your abdomen as it intensified with the vengeance of a sworn enemy, causing you to shrink in Sans’ arms as you let out an exasperated groan. Said skeleton startles above you, worriedly trying to meet your eyes.

“(Y/N)? IS IT HURTING AGAIN? IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO?”

Oh jeez, he should’ve known teleporting would be a bad idea. How stupid could he get, using such risky magic with your condition! His thoughts are interrupted as you shake your head.

“I’ll be okay. The pains usually don’t last long.”

You take a deep breath and look up. The area you’re in is bathed in a serene blue glow, illuminating your surroundings in a gentle haze. Ahead of you lies a dome house, carefully detailed to resemble a sharp-toothed fish. The windows take the place of its eyes, shaped in a way that makes it seem uneasy and non-threatening, as if the house itself wished to hide from any and all visitors. Papyrus strides towards the toothy door, motioning for you two to follow. Your brother holds onto the skeleton’s shoulders a little tighter, his nerves starting to get the best of him. 

Papyrus raises a hand, giving the odd-looking door a solid knock. Sans’ gaze returns to you.

“IF YOU’RE UNCOMFORTABLE AT ANY POINT, DO NOT HESITATE TO LET ME KNOW.”

You stare into his blue eyelights, which convey nothing short of good intent. God, in just a few days’ time, this skeletal man has shown you more genuine kindness than most people that you’ve known for years. The thought kind of hurts.

You respond with a short nod.

“Okay. Thanks, Sans.”

The moment is broken as someone quickly shuffles to the other side of the door, bumping into a few things along the way and cursing under their breath. You and Sans look over to the door as it opens, revealing a fish-like monster wearing a tattered lab coat. Beautifully long scarlet hair is tied back into a ponytail as the rest of her bangs conceal her right eye. Despite not having a nose, a pair of glasses sit on her face without showing any signs of slipping off. She’s slouching a bit, but it does nothing to hide her impressive height, rivalling that of Papyrus. Her slitted yellow eye reminds you of a cat, full of curiosity as the yellow orb flicks between the four of you before solely focusing on you and your brother. Her evaluating gaze puts you on edge, and you’re certain you would’ve grabbed Dakota and run off if Sans wasn’t still holding you.

The tense silence feels like it goes on for way too long. Luckily, Paps is the one to intervene as he offers a lazy wave.

“sup, undyne?”

The scientist snaps out of her daze, and she has the decency to look guilty as her scaly cheeks take on a darker hue, frantically apologizing.

“O-oh! Oh gosh, I’m so sorry for staring! Y-you just…”

Her rushed explanation dies out in her throat, and she opts to move aside with a welcoming arm outstretched to the inside of her abode.

“Uh, please come in! Make yourselves at home.”

Taking the offer, Papyrus enters as Dakota ducks to avoid bumping his head on the doorframe. Sans follows suit, and you find yourself hoping he’ll put you down soon with the way Undyne analyzes the two of you as you pass by, practically seeing the gears turn in her head. Papyrus kneels, and Dakota takes the hint, hopping off his back. Standing back to his full height, the lazy skeleton stuffs his hands into his pockets as he shambles over to lean against the wall. The fish scientist presses a button by the doorframe, the sharp-toothed door promptly closing in response. Looking towards you, Undyne gives a polite wave with a shaky smile.

“I’m Undyne, as you’ve probably heard. I’m the Royal Scientist, appointed by our Queen to study various subjects and maintain the Core. B-but I have the day off, so I was just doing paperwork here..”

You offer a smile of your own.

“It’s nice to meet you, Doctor Undyne. My name’s (Y/N)-”

You pause to nod towards the blue-eyed boy that seems to be trying to avoid drawing attention to himself as he ducks his chin into the oversized hoodie.

“And that’s my little brother, Dakota.”

Undyne huffs out a small laugh.

“I know.”

She appears to realize her error as you raise an eyebrow, a small bead of nervous sweat resting on her forehead. She coughs awkwardly and excuses herself. You glance around the home as Undyne brushes by, searching for something on a rather messy desk, crumpled papers and various empty ramen cups strewn about across its surface. There’s a dual monitor and a keyboard, but your nearsighted vision makes it difficult to make out any details on the screens from your viewpoint. Most of the north wall is taken up by the kitchen, and another door lies further to the left. Probably her bedroom, since it doesn’t look like there are any other spots out here comfortable enough to sleep in. A large wooden table sits off to the side with a lone stool next to it.

...Is that a fucking sword over there?

Undyne lets out a victorious ‘aha!’ as she pulls a clipboard from underneath the clutter, turning back towards the four of you as a stack of empty cups wobbles precariously. You look up to Sans with a pleading gaze, and he complies to your silent request by setting you down on the stool. You’re not gonna lie, you were coming to find an inkling of comfort when he held you to him with such care, but it seemed a little unprofessional for an adult to be coddled during the equivalent of a checkup. Returning to stand in front of you and Dakota, Undyne offers a sharp-toothed smile that you guess is meant to be reassuring.

“Okay! So what seems to be the…”

She pauses, the gills on her neck twitching. Her visible eye widens as she fumbles, nearly dropping the clipboard in her clutch.

“H-hold on, are one of your humans hurt?! I smell b-blood!”

Dakota flinches at her outburst, her change in volume making him uneasy. You stare incredulously. Her too? It seems like heightened senses are a general trait shared by monsters, but that wouldn’t explain Papyrus’ lack of a response other than mild uncertainty when you were cramping. You reach up to rub at the back of your neck, a little nervous that the scientist might not know as much about human health as you’d hoped.

“Uh, n-no, not really. It’s a normal monthly cycle I have.”

Meeting her intrigued gaze, you tilt your head.

“Do...do monster women not have periods?”

The fish scientist shakes her head, swiping a pen from her pocket and tossing aside the cap to scribble something down on the clipboard.

“I can’t say that we do. At least...n-not like that…”

Undyne lets out a sigh, trying not to go full analytical mode and barrage you with questions on human biology. It’d probably scare you and Dakota away, and then she’d have to go back to just watching your interactions on the cameras, rooting from the sidelines of an adventure she could never be a part of. _Make friends_ , she reminds herself, _not subjects to be studied_. She reaches up and adjusts her glasses so that they aren’t pressing as uncomfortably against her scales.

“A-alright, so why exactly did you two need to come in on such short notice?”

You glance over to Sans, who’s carefully watching the interaction. If Papyrus is even paying attention from his slouch by the wall, it’s impossible to tell. Your brother moves to stand next to you, and you put a hand on his shoulder as you look back to Undyne.

“Sans wanted to make sure nothing is putting us in immediate danger. Like...are there negative side effects to the magic we’re being exposed to? That’d probably be a good place to start.”

Blinking, the fish scientist seems to take your inquiry into consideration as she rubs her chin in thought.

“Um...I don’t think so? Not from what I’ve seen, that is. If there’s no intent to harm from the magic user, then negative effects won’t occur.”

Oh, right. Sans said something similar when you two were training, didn’t he? Thinking back on it, you feel stupid for thinking that the lovable skeleton would do anything to hurt you or your brother. Undyne subconsciously chews on the end of her pen.

“I think...I still have an old human anatomy book from the dump lying around. If I find that, it could give me a good idea of what I need to be looking for….U-um, hold on, I’ll be right back!”

Stuffing the abused writing utensil into her pocket, the four of you are left to wait as she disappears into her room.

\-------

 

Fortunately, the fish scientist eventually returned with an old book in hand, its cover having long since faded away. Somehow, the inner pages were relatively intact, apart from the wrecked table of contents. Nobody reads those anyway. The following hour consisted mostly of Undyne alternating her attention between you and Dakota, anatomy book in one hand as she tried to figure out how to trigger a knee-kick reflex. Slowly but surely, the fish monster started picking up names of particular organs, appearing to pick up momentum as her yellow eye flit across the info-stuffed pages. 

Eventually, her scaled hand flipped to reveal the glossary, snapping her out of her knowledge-fueled daze. You sigh in relief. Undyne wasn’t a bad doctor by any means, but you weren’t particularly fond of when she’d accidentally poked your throat while trying to find your pulse. She’d apologized profusely as you coughed, though you had a feeling she wasn’t as sorry when Sans rushed over to gently rub your back with whispered reassurances. You swear the smile she tried to hide behind her hand resembled that of a shark.

You stand up, relieved when you aren’t immediately swept into boney arms. Undyne flips through the copious amounts of notes she’d been taking, humming as she goes.

“I-it doesn’t look like anything’s out of the ordinary with you two. I’d say you’re gonna be fine, as long as you’re sure to get the proper nutrients that aren’t found in food made purely of magic…”

Looking up from her papers, she offers you a smile.

“Yeah, everything checks out in terms of physical health. You’re free to go.”

Mulling over something, her smile tightens with nerves as she fiddles with the edge of the clipboard, hesitant to meet your eyes.

“U-um, would you like to trade numbers? Just in case s-something comes up and you need my help, of course! Uh, yeah…”

Her anxious demeanor reminds you of yourself in your early teens, and you feel a pang of sympathy. Honestly, you wouldn’t mind talking to her again; she seemed nice enough, if not a bit socially awkward. You let out an apologetic chuckle, shrugging.

“I’d love to, but I don’t have a phone. Pretty sure I left mine on the surface.”

Sans, helpful as ever, offers a solution of his own with a happy grin.

“(Y/N) COULD USE MINE IF SHE NEEDS TO.”

Realizing something, he gasps and lifts his gloved hands with stars in his eyes.

“THAT MEANS YOU TWO CAN SET UP PLAYDATES AND BECOME CLOSER FRIENDS! OH, HOW EXCITING!”

You snort a bit, amused by his boundless enthusiasm.

“I mean, sure, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. Whattaya say, Undyne?”

You look over to the fish scientist, who looks a little flustered as she glances to you with a hopeful gleam in her yellow eye.

“R-really? Um, y-yeah, I’d like that!”

Sans’ grin turns triumphant as he chuckles.

“THEN IT IS SETTLED.”

Glancing over to his lazy brother, who appears to have fallen asleep standing up, he fondly rolls his eyelights. Stars, that lazybones could pass out in the middle of a blizzard if he wanted to.

“BROTHER! IT’S TIME FOR US TO LEAVE! I’M SURE UNDYNE HAS MANY THINGS TO ATTEND TO.”

Papyrus jolts awake, nearly falling over. He takes a deep breath in and lets it out in a huffed laugh.

“yeah yeah, m’comin. you don’t gotta drive me ‘up the wall.’”

Suppressing the hitch of his smile, Sans pinches the bridge of his nasal bone.

“LET’S JUST GO BEFORE I MAKE YOU CLEAN UP ALL THOSE SOCKS YOU HID IN THE HOUSE.”

Undyne giggles at their antics, and you find yourself smiling as well. Papyrus shrugs and rests his hand on Dakota’s shoulder, looking over to you and Sans expectantly. Weirdly enough, the stout skeleton seems to reconsider, offering his brother an apologetic crinkle of his eyesockets.

“ACTUALLY, DO YOU THINK YOU COULD TAKE DAKOTA HOME? TELEPORTATION DIDN’T FARE WELL FOR (Y/N)’S AILMENT, AND I DON’T WISH FOR HER TO GO THROUGH IT AGAIN.”

Papyrus raises a browbone.

“so...you’re gonna walk?”

Sans gives a determined nod, his smile unfaltering.

“YEP.”

After a moment, the tall skeleton shrugs with indifference. It’s not like he has a place to boss around his older bro, so he’ll let him be.

“alright, if you’re sure.”

Your little bro waves to you both before he and the lazy skeleton warp from existence, leaving no sign that they were there to begin with. You blink, a little thrown off. Sure, you’ve teleported, but it’s so much weirder to see it happen. You wonder if sights like that have ever driven someone to madness….Now that you think about it, Paps would probably be the type to intentionally screw with folks if he felt like it. All the more reason not to piss him off. On a lighter note, it seems like you’re doing well with him, considering that he’s done a lot less outright staring.

You’re pulled from your thoughts as Sans waves a gloved hand in front of your eyes. Oh shit, he probably said something, huh? You give him a sheepish glance.

“Oh, sorry, spaced out there. What were you saying?”

He motions to the door.

“I SAID WE SHOULD GET GOING IF WE WISH TO GET HOME SOON. IT’S NOT TOO LONG OF A WALK, BUT IT TAKES LONGER THAN TELEPORTING.”

You nod in acknowledgement, stuffing a hand in your pocket as you turn to Undyne with the other one outstretched.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Doctor Undyne. Hopefully we can talk soon.”

Said fish scientist flushes, putting her hand in your own and giving it a loose shake.

“L-likewise. If you need anything, I’ll try to help however I can.”

She releases her grip, and you head out the door, which opens as you approach it. Sans gives his friend a grateful smile as he follows you back into the caverns of Waterfall. Your feet follow the outlined path, but your gaze stays up, gaping in awe as the blue glow reflects from somewhere within the rocks themselves. Sans speeds up a bit until he’s walking next to you, following your gaze to the bedrock above. It’s the same stone ceiling that’s been there since he was a babybones, but he supposes it’s still a nice sight to look at. His blue eyelights drift to your awestruck expression, eyes wide as some of the bioluminescent light reflects against your orbs in glittering twinkles.

Oh, now _there’s_ an idea.

Sans walks out in front of you as a new rush of excitement fills him. You’re startled out of your daze when you nearly run into his chest.

“Oh! Sorry-”

He interrupts your apology by taking your hands into his gloved ones, grinning widely.

“I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING, AND I JUST KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE IT!”

You tilt your head with a curious smile.

“Is that so? What is it?”

Sans winks.

“YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE FOR YOURSELF. COME ON, IT’S THIS WAY!”

The excited skeleton starts a quick pace, pulling you along by the hand as you let out a laugh, trying to keep up. The next few minutes is spent winding through strange fields of glowing mosses and shrooms, Sans easily leading the way like he’s memorized the entire landscape.

~~He’s been down here so long, of course he has.~~

“Are we getting close?”

He doesn’t answer until after the two of you speedwalked a little further, slowing his steps before turning to you.

“IT’S JUST AROUND THIS CORNER, BUT I’M GOING TO NEED YOU TO CLOSE YOUR EYES UNTIL I SAY SO. I’LL MAKE SURE YOU'RE WALKING THE RIGHT WAY, DON’T WORRY.”

The unbridled hope and joy shimmering from his blue eyelights make it impossible to say no. Not that you would have, but it still tugs at a soft spot within you. You smile up at him.

“Okay. I trust you.”

Sans blinks, those three words sending his Soul into a flurry as a blue flush rose to his cheekbones. It was a simple phrase, but it felt like it was so much more precious when it came from your lips. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he reaches out and carefully removes his bandanna from your collarbone, loosely tying it around your eyes as one of your soft hands came up to gently wrap around his wrist, maybe trying to reassure yourself that he was still there. Taking your hand in his own, he leads you through the next room at a steady pace as you take cautious steps.

“ALMOST…….OKAY, YOU CAN OPEN YOUR EYES.”

Hesitantly letting go of the skeleton’s hand, you pull down the bandanna to rest against your neck, squinting at just how much _brighter_ it is in this room. Once your sight adjusts, you look up and suck in a shocked breath.

Crystals. Thousands of them lining every square foot of stone and bedrock, steadily pulsing with an unnaturally beautiful gleam. They pulse out of time with one another, almost mimicking the shimmer of the stars you left behind. Those wonderful stars….

A single tear streaks down your cheek, an embodiment of the previously unshed sorrow for a world you might never see again. You wipe it away, only leaving the bittersweet smile in your features.

“WELL…..DO YOU LIKE IT?”

You pry your gaze away from the crystalline sky to the skeleton man next to you. He’s searching your face with such worried anticipation that it nearly breaks your heart. Sniffing, you nod as you pull him into a tight embrace, burying your face into his shirt. It takes a second, but Sans lifts his arms slowly and carefully wraps them around you, as if a single wrong move would scare you away.

“Yeah, I-I love it…”

You mumble out the next part as an afterthought.

“....and I think I have another reason to break that Barrier.”

Squinting curiously, Sans looks down to you.

“Like What?”

That weird fluttering in your chest may be clouding your judgment, but you couldn’t be more certain of your answer.

“So you can see the stars, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats, you're on your way to befriending the weeb.
> 
> Honestly, I think that Undyne would still live in Waterfall in the Swap universe. It likely won't kill her to be in Hotland since she doesn't wear armor, but a literal land of lava and sweltering heat can't be comfortable for a fish.
> 
> And weirdly enough, I originally planned to make our beloved bozos finally kiss in this chapter, but then the stargazing scene became a little too real for me. It seemed too vulnerable for something like that.
> 
> Heh, sorry about that, but a little relationship development never hurt anybody, right?


	14. Missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not sure how to feel about this one. it just seems....clunky, if that's the right word for it.

The shortcut home wasn’t too bad. Two Souls were a lot easier to pull through the void than four, so Papyrus had to admit he was a little grateful. Though, he’ll still need a nap later to replenish the expended magic. Looking down to the short human latched to his side, he tapped his shoulder.

“you can open your eyes now, kiddo.”

Dakota peeked through one of his tightly shut eyes, glancing around and letting out a sigh of relief. Releasing his hold on the skeleton, he looks up to Papyrus as he sheepishly kneads at the fabric of his borrowed hoodie.

“Sorry, teleporting always feels really weird...”

Papyrus shrugs it off, walking over to flop onto the couch. After a second of deliberation, he scoots over the other side, allowing room for Dakota to sit if he so wished. The young boy accepts the silent invitation, plopping down into the free space. The skeleton’s delayed reply comes out sounding somewhat drained.

“yeah...it tends to with folks who ain’t made of magic.”

Dakota seems to deliberate something, pulling at a loose thread on his sweatpants, growing more tense over the following seconds.

“It….it won’t make my stomachaches come back, will it..?”

Furrowing his browbones, Paps looks over to Dakota, who’s staring at the carpet with quiet unease. Something tells him there’s more to the boy’s dread than indigestion. He’s curious, but he’s gonna make sure to tread lightly. Just in case.

“‘whattaya mean?”

Dakota takes a deep breath and his hands cease their restless fiddling, seemingly realizing that it probably looks odd. He settles for bringing up his thin legs to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, convinced it’s the only way he can sit still.

“It used to be normal for my stomach to hurt real bad. Because of that, I couldn’t eat very much, and I lost a lot of weight….We went to the doctors so many times, but they never knew what was wrong.”

Papyrus internally winces, recalling how Dakota hadn’t said a word when they were at Undyne’s. There’s a good chance that the kid isn’t fond of them, considering how often he must have been prodded by ‘professionals’ who couldn’t figure out a simple tummyache. Little kids are supposed to grow like weeds, not wilt away to nothing. 

Papyrus clenches his jaw, nauseated by the very thought.

“...But then something changed, and it became pretty easy to figure out what caused them.”

Dakota’s far-off gaze shifts from the carpet to Papyrus, a small smile on his face.

“I’ve been getting better though! Gained a couple of pounds. It’s...not much, but it’s a start, right?”

There’s a shining hope in those grayish-blue eyes, and the skeleton is starting to see the resemblance between you and your brother. Clearly this kid’s been through…. _something_. He can’t really tell what, but it hasn’t squashed his spirit. An admirable trait, being able to keep going like that. Chuckling, Papyrus stands up.

“sure is, bud.”

Paps glances to the door. You and his bro probably won’t be back for at least a few minutes, so it’s a good opportunity to squeeze in a smoke break without Sans hiding his cigarettes again. He always thought he was lucky to have someone to look out for him, but it could be exhausting at times. Looking back to Dakota, he nods towards the dark television screen.

“you can watch tv if ya want. i’m just gonna be on the porch for a couple minutes, k?”

Eyes lighting up, the boy perks with sudden anticipation.

“Okay, I won’t ‘show’ you a hard time.”

The horrible joke is accompanied by an overly exaggerated wink. Mimicking an eye-roll, the skeleton huffs out a laugh as he walks to the door.

“that one stunk. even for you, ‘fartmaster’.”

Dakota’s snickering follows as Papyrus exits into the chilled air. His heaved sigh comes out in a puff of mist as he takes a seat on the wooden steps. Pulling out his half-empty case of cheap cigarettes and a well worn lighter, he plucks one from it. Stuffing the carton back into his pocket, he takes a quick glance around to reassure himself that his bro wasn’t in sight. A pointless action, since he’d probably be able to hear him well before he could get caught. He lights his cigarette with practiced ease and a satisfying crackle of burning plant fibers, taking in a long breath as the smoke filled his ribcage. 

“Heehee...once an ashtray, always an ashtray.~”

Papyrus coughs violently, eyesockets widening as his skull darts in every direction. Red flags are raised in his head. Call him crazy, but he could’ve sworn that sounded like…

“Over here, bonehead. Gosh, don’tcha know how to greet a friend?”

His skull snaps towards the sickeningly sweet voice. A small creature sits a mere few feet away from him. Beady black eyes pierce into his very being, picking apart every last detail to be noted. The creature has a smile painted into its features, but it lacks warmth.

Papyrus scowls, sockets narrowing in suspicion that he doesn’t bother to cover up.

Fucking _**Temmie.**_

“what the hell do you want, **pest?** ”

Temmie glances to the side, feigning innocence.

“Weeeeeell, y’see….I couldn’t help but notice something _strange_ about this particular run.”

Shit, the little vermin was talking about you and your brother. He must be. As far as the skeleton knew, you two were the central anomalies. 

Temmie giggles, a grating noise that thinly veils its malicious intent.

“I seem to have lost what’s rightfully mine...Chara hasn’t fallen yet, so if _I_ don’t have the power to Reset…”

The false smile splits across Temmie’s face, jagged fangs displayed as his eyes darken further, ceaseless voids from which light could never escape.

“ _ **W h o d o e s ….?**_ ”

The soulless abomination allows its gaze to drift to the front window, smile widening as it looks back to the skeleton in a taunting manner. Papyrus nearly crushes the cigarette between his teeth.

“Heeheehee, doesn’t seem like I’ll get an answer out of you…. I wonder if Dakota would know.~”

Bones shoot from the ground, caging in the little pest as it yelps in surprise. Papyrus’ void sockets are set in a deadly glare as he snarls.

“you’re not gonna lay a single filthy paw on that kid, just like you’re gonna stay the hell away from my bro.”

Temmie lets out a loud cackle, grinning from ear-to-ear.

“And what about that pesky little (Y/N)..? I know you want her gone. Such an entitled creature, trying to take away your brother like that.”

Papyrus furrows his bonebrows in confusion. What the hell? There’s no way this pest actually knew. Temmie picks up on the doubt in the skeleton’s body language, like a shark to spilled blood.

“I can get rid of her! Erase her from all of this before she does irreversible damage to what little happiness you have left.~”

He….he has a point. Stars know what kind of things you’re capable of. What if you can Reset? Would you tamper with innocent lives for your own amusement? You could decide to strike them all down, leaving the Underground as nothing more than a dusty cavern in your wake. You could hurt his brother in so many ways.

You could...

You…

...You’re important to Dakota. You’re his older sister who teases him out of affection, protecting him when you can and beating yourself up when you fail at it. Just like….

…..

Stars, what’s gotten into him? He can’t be seriously letting this manipulative little sociopath into his head. The skeleton masks his shame with a mocking smirk. The fucker isn’t getting another glimpse into his thoughts if he can help it.

“...heh, nah. she’s off limits too. and if i see you anywhere near my house again...buddy…”

A wide smile takes place on his skull, his low growl not holding a threat...but a promise.

“i’ll make sure there’s **nothing left of you to be forgotten.** ”

Unperturbed, the soulless pest giggles.

“You’ll come around, I know you will.~”

Without another word, Temmie disappears into a hole in the ground, making its escape as the pit seals itself.

\-------

 

Much to your disappointment, you and Sans couldn’t gaze at the glowing crystals forever. Being the sweetheart he is, the excitable skeleton promised to take you there again someday. You don’t exactly recall when, but at some point in your trek home, you reached out and took Sans’ gloved hand in your own. He’d been a little surprised at first, glancing over to you with wide sockets and flushed cheekbones. After the initial shock, his smile became more genuine as he gave your hand a gentle squeeze. 

The familiar snow-blanketed house came into view much sooner than you thought it would. Sans releases your hand, dashing ahead of you to hold the door open with a flourish.

“M’LADY.”

You cover your mouth as you let out an unattractive snort. You’re pretty sure Sans is the only person you know who could say that without coming across as weird. You offer a mock curtsy, which you still manage to pull off in borrowed sweatpants.

“Why thank you, kind sir.”

You walk inside, Sans following after. It looks like Dakota’s watching something on TV, blaring what you can only describe as a rather generic rap beat in the background. He looks over to you, brightening as he realizes you’re back.

“Oh, hey sis! Paps is in his room, I think... Are you feeling any better?”

You go over to the couch, grabbing your clean clothes from the rucksack.

“Much better, actually. I’m gonna change real quick though, okay? Gotta give Sans his clothes back.”

Tucking the folded clothing under your arm, you head upstairs and into the bathroom, locking the door behind you as you slip out of the sweatpants and into your freshly-scented jeans. You take off your jacket to pull Sans’ shirt over your head, trading it out for your own shirt. It’s only after you put your jacket back on that you realize you’re still wearing the bandanna. You untie it and it comes loose, slipping off your neck and into your palm. Even though you’re fully dressed, it feels like you’re too exposed as your free hand comes up to rub at the space over your collarbone.

You fold the borrowed attire neatly, setting the bandanna on top as you leave the bathroom with a stifled yawn. Descending the staircase, you approach Sans, holding out his clothes to him with a grateful smile.

“Thanks so much for letting me borrow these. I appreciate it.”

He offers you that sweet smile of his, glancing down to the clothing as you pass them to him. He seems to debate something with himself as his gaze lingers on the blue bandanna. Sans plucks it from the top of the pile, setting the rest on the arm of the couch as he turns to you.

“ACTUALLY, I WOULD LIKE IT IF YOU HELD ONTO THIS FOR ME….I-IS THAT ALRIGHT..?”

His cheekbones take on a slight blue tinge, a tad embarrassed with himself. Honestly, he really liked seeing you wear it, as the bandanna held a lot of sentimental value to him. When it rested so near to where your Soul resided, it made him feel….well, **closer** to you, for lack of a better term. Monsters tend to move at a quick pace with relationships, developing stronger bonds as beings made of love and compassion. But...he doesn’t know how humans go about the connections they make with others. There’s a chance you feel drawn to him like he does to you, but that’s not reassuring enough for him to risk moving too quickly. He really likes having you and Dakota around with Sans and his brother. He...he doesn’t want to risk losing that.

Your smile softens, and his Soul quivers with affection, like it does whenever he convinces himself that it’s there because of _him._

“I’m okay with that, if it makes you happy.”

Oh stars above, you need to stop saying things like that. It’s not making this easier for him. He makes a similar motion to when he put the bandanna on you the first time. You’re quick to comply, bunching your flowing hair and pulling it aside with one hand as you turn your back to the flustered skeleton. Sans makes sure the knot is secure, but not tight enough to press uncomfortably against your throat. When he takes his hands away, you allow your hair to fall, and it soon returns to its natural rest over your shoulders. You reach up, fingers grazing over the silky fabric that feels oddly right as it rests over your collarbone.

You go over to sit next to Dakota on the couch, whose eyes are glued to the television as he tries to figure out if he’s watching a rap battle or a cook-off. Sans joins, taking up the remaining space next to you. His blue eyelights flick to the television screen, expression lighting up as he recognizes the rectangular robot.

“OH! THAT’S NAPSTABOT, THE STAR OF THE UNDERGROUND!”

Dakota looks over to the skeleton with his eyes squinted curiously.

“Is there someone controlling it with a remote?”

Sans shakes his head.

“NOPE! THERE’S NO ONE ELSE WHO COULD EXUDE GROOVINESS AS NAPSTABOT DOES.”

You blink, slowly turning towards Sans while trying your hardest to keep a straight face. Noticing your gaze, he shifts uncomfortably.

“.....Grooviness?”

“W-WELL, YES! ONLY THE MOST POPULAR SLANG TERMS COULD DO SOMEONE LIKE HIM JUSTICE.”

Your shoulders tremble, struggling to contain yourself as you attempt to speak between short bursts of giggles.

“Pfft- um, Sans? That- heheheh- I’m pretty sure ‘groovy’ is a word folks stopped using after the seventies.”

Said skeleton flushes, and the dam breaks as you burst out laughing, which soon dissolves into wheezes when you seem to forget how to breathe. Sans crosses his arms, preserving the little composure he still has.

“NAPSTABOT IS STILL THE TOP CELEBRITY TO EVER EXIST. THERE’S EVEN A RUMOR THAT HE IS ENTIRELY IMMUNE TO ATTACKS OF THE TICKLING VARIETY!”

An idea pops in your head, one that you don’t even hesitate to accept as the best way you could possibly waste time. You sneak a glance towards your brother, whose attention is still focused on the strange program. You redirect your attention to Sans, using the most exaggerated ‘innocent’ tone possible.

“Didja know that Dakota is _really_ ticklish? In fact, just poking the back of his neck is enough to set him off.”

Your brother’s head whipped to your direction the moment that god-forsaken word was uttered. The smirk on your face is downright evil as Dakota narrows his eyes, and Sans’ smile quirks up. You give the skeleton a wink.

“I’m sure you won’t abuse that knowledge.”

Sans glances over to your on-edge brother, who looks like he’s ready to bolt at any moment. As soon as he raises his hands to wiggle his gloved phalanges, Dakota jumps off the couch and makes a break for it. Letting out a hearty laugh, he gets up to chase after the fleeing child.

“MWEH HEH HEH! IF YOU THINK YOU CAN OUTRUN THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, YOU ARE SORELY MISTAKEN!”

You dissolve into another fit of giggles as you watch the short-lived race up until Dakota takes cover in the laundry room, slamming the door behind him. His victorious cheer echoes from within his makeshift bunker.

“Can’t get me now, Mister Sans!”

The energetic skeleton chuckles, shaking his head. He pauses for a moment, and you can practically see the gears turning in his skull as he looks over to you with a wide grin.

“OH DARN, IT LOOKS LIKE MY TARGET HAS ESCAPED….WHATEVER SHALL I DO NOW?”

He steadily creeps closer with a guiltless smile, and your eyes widen in realization.

**Oh no.**

It’s already too late as he pounces, pinning you to the couch by straddling your legs under him. Looming over you, he speaks in a sing-song voice.

“CAUGHT YOU, (Y/N).~”

You struggle, but it does nothing as his hands shoot to your midsection, assaulting your sensitive spots relentlessly with the biggest shit-eating grin you’ve ever seen. Your hysterical laughter makes it difficult to speak, let alone breathe as you struggle for air.

“S-Sans! Sta-ha-ha-hap, you trai-ha-haitor! C-can’t bre-hea-heathe..!”

The house is filled with your howling laughter, a joyful chime carried with such happiness that makes Sans’ Soul swell. Once he thinks you’ve had enough, he spares you from his barrage, allowing his hands to rest on the couch. Holding himself up as he looks down at your flushed face, you’re panting for breath in relieved gasps. Eventually, you're able to regain control of your sporadic breaths. Letting out a final huff, you glance up to Sans, who’s gazing into your eyes with half-lidded sockets. The longer he stares, the deeper he’s sucked into his mindless daze.

_You look so breathtaking like this._

One of his hands tentatively reach out to you, pausing before gently caressing your cheek. You subconsciously tilt your head ever-so-slightly into his careful touch. Your heart is pounding, but it feels as if it has a rebellious shadow; the same fluttering that only seems to exist when the sweet skeleton is around. Speaking of which, he suddenly looks a lot closer now, and it's then you realize that he's slowly leaning down. His sockets fall shut as his smooth teeth meet your soft lips. You freeze at first, both stunned and unsure if this is really happening. However, a warm feeling fills your chest, soon lulling your eyes closed as a strange thought whispers in the back of your mind.

You're okay with this.

 

 

\-------

 

 

Ticking of a lone clock is all there is to fill the silence. A woman sits at her desktop computer, scrolling through the missing persons report for the third time in the last hour. Hitting refresh once more, her heart sinks when there’s absolutely no change.

_Nothing._

How could two of her children have disappeared without so much as a _**trace?**_

It’s been nearly a week, and the search party that was sent out still hasn’t come back with any leads. She trusted her eldest daughter, who always proved to be very adamant about ensuring the safety of her younger siblings, whether it be from passerby strangers or other family members deemed untrustworthy. That being said, she had no issue with letting Dakota spend the weekend at your apartment, like he always did when he needed a break from his little sister. On Monday morning, she tried to call your cell phone to make sure Dakota got to school on time.

You never picked up.

Exasperated, she figured you might have slept in, a normal occurrence after one of your all-nighters. Determined to ensure Dakota’s proper education, she and her youngest daughter piled into the family car, taking the brief drive to your apartment building. You didn’t have a car of your own, but the town was rather small and the elementary school was just a short walk from your place. It wasn’t hard to find parking, as only a few people lived there. Taking her daughter’s hand, they entered the front door and walked down the carpeted hall until reaching their destination. A wooden door with ‘214’ etched into a brass plate over it. The woman raised her free hand and knocked loudly, knowing that it’d be the only chance of you hearing it since you were such a deep sleeper. Receiving no answer, she tried turning the doorknob.

It made her uneasy when it opened without resistance. You _never_ left your door unlocked, even when you just spent the day inside.

Searching through the apartment proved pointless. The only signs that anyone even lived there was the sparse decor along with a few dirty dishes that sat untouched in the sink. Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialed the number of the elementary school. For all she knew, you could still be walking back from dropping off your brother. Yeah, everything would be _fine._

She’ll never forget that sickening pit of dread she felt when the school insisted that Dakota hadn’t shown up.

The woman forced herself out of the memory as tears burned behind her brown eyes, dissolving into quiet hiccupping sobs. Putting her head into her hands, her fingers latched onto her dyed blonde locks in desperation, praying to whatever God was listening to _**bring her children back.**_

In the next bedroom over, a young girl wept to the melody of her mother’s sorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not everyone's happy with this.


	15. Communication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit short, not gonna lie.
> 
> Today was just a clusterfuck of emotions and I needed happy feels, so here ya go.

After a few moments of lingering on the feeling of your velvety lips against his teeth, Sans parted from you. Mind still hazy, he allowed his sockets to flutter open. There you were, eyes slowly opening to gaze up at him. Your orbs flicked about his face, as if searching his features for the answer to a question you weren't sure how to ask. Though you wouldn't have been able to anyways, considering the silence was broken by someone other than you or the skeleton still pinning you to the couch.

"Uh, (Y/N)...? Why are you wrestling with Mister Sans?"

The familiar voice grabbed the attention of you both, heads snapping over towards Dakota. He's standing halfway in the doorway of the laundry room, eyebrows scrunched in befuddlement as he tried to piece together what was going on. Confused, Sans looked back to you as the mist began to clear from his consciousness. One hand was still tenderly holding your cheek as the other rested just above your hip. His knees were on either side of you, practically caging you in. Your round cheeks were flushed with red as if he had just....

His sockets widened, the realization hitting him like a truck.

He had kissed you.

He _**kissed**_ you!

Panic rushed through him, his hands flinching away from you as he fumbled to sit up. 

"OH STARS, I'M SORRY! I-I....."

You grew concerned as Sans' rushed apology died away into hyperventilating intakes of breath. As you reached out to ask what was wrong, his left socket gave a bright flash of blue and he vanished. 

Upstairs, Sans landed with a loud 'fwump' onto his bedroom floor. Teleporting was incredibly dangerous since he didn't put it in practice often, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He put his head into his hands, panicked thoughts angrily clashing against the inside of his skull, threatening to break through and let him crumble apart.

_Oh no. Oh no nonono, what's he done?! He messed it up, he messed everything up!_

_You're going to hate him now, aren't you? Who wouldn't after being forced down and kissed like that?! He practically didn't give you a choice!_

_You'll be disgusted with him, and you'll leave. You're going to leave and he can't protect you or your brother. The moment your back is turned, something bad will happen and it'll be **his** fault._

Shamefully, he had to admit that he'd done it without thinking. For him, it felt like all logic floated away into the endless abyss of your gorgeous eyes. Following that train of thought, his mind supplied how you'd looked just before he was lost to the haze. Something deep within him had coiled with need in response to the image of you, red-faced and gasping beneath him-

_Agh! No! Bad thoughts!_

Cheekbones heating up with mortification, Sans grasped the edges of his scarf and buried his face into it, letting out a muffled groan of distress. From somewhere beyond his door, he can vaguely make out someone's approaching footsteps. They stop just outside his bedroom and Sans sucks in a breath when there's a light, hesitant knock.

"Sans...?"

It's _you._

"...I'll leave you alone if that's what you need, but I just wanted to ask first...Can we talk?"

You stood in front of the wooden door, nervously waiting for _some_ kind of response. You're not even entirely sure if he's in there, but you could've sworn you heard a loud noise that sounded like something fell right after Sans had vanished into thin air. 

_After he teleported to get away from **you**_ , your mind corrected.

Sans' muffled voice came from beyond the door, almost frantic.

"I AM SO SORRY, (Y/N)! THE LAST THING I WOULD EVER DREAM OF DOING IS TO JEOPARDIZE OUR FRIENDSHIP, BUT I....I Did It Anyway....I'm Sorry..."

Eyes widening, you could feel a phantom squeeze around your throat as the skeleton's explanation gave way to his palpable regret. Taking a deep breath to steady yourself, you make a conscious effort to keep your tone soft and comforting. Misunderstandings only cause pain, and you're determined to make this right.

"Sans, you have nothing to apologize for."

He's quick to interject.

"BUT I DO! I CORNERED YOU AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A VULNERABLE POSITION AND I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON!"

"No, you're not."

"I AM! I WAS A BAD FRIEND AND IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE, I UNDERSTAND, BUT-"

Alright, that's enough.

"I liked it, okay?!"

It came out louder than you intended, but it seems to get the point across as Sans falls silent. All is quiet for what probably feels longer than it actually was, and you soon grow worried that he might've left. That is, until his baritone peeps out, practically drenched in uncertainty.

"YOU....You What..?"

Well...here goes nothing, you guess.

"..I liked it when you kissed me, Sans."

You can feel your face warming already, but you need to suck it up. So many times, you've avoided being straightforward with others just because you didn't feel like it, as a middle-school child would. 

~~**Some never bothered to listen.** ~~

But not this time, because Sans is one of the special few who's worth the effort.

You hear shuffling from beyond the door, and the knob slowly turns. It's pulled open, revealing Sans as his hope-filled blue eyelights search your expression. His smile is just a slight tilt of his mouth, as if it's weighed down. There's something streaked under the corners of his eyesockets, emanating a slight cyan glow until he reaches up to wipe it away. 

"REALLY...?"

You offer a soft smile as you nod.

"Of course I did, because I like _you._ "

His sockets widen in surprise, but you're not done yet.

"You're kind, incredibly sweet, and..."

Your smile grows into a genuine grin, fueled by the pleasant twist you feel in your chest as Sans' face is overtaken by a blue flush. 

"And you're definitely the coolest guy I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. So yeah, I like you."

You watch curiously when the blue spotlights in his sockets seem to grow hazy around the edges. They shift into full-blown stars as his expression brightens into pure glee. The skeleton surges forward, lifting you off the ground into his version of a bear hug. Despite the fact that you should've expected it, you couldn't help the small surprised noise it gets out of you. His chest shakes with relieved laughter, and you finally recollect yourself enough to return his tight hold.

"MWEH HEH HEH! OH MY GOODNESS, AM I GLAD TO HEAR THAT! I'LL BE HONEST, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS FINE WITH YOU LEAVING AS I MADE YOU BELIEVE WITH MY UNPARALLELED ACTING!"

_Oh my God._

You burst into a string of giggles. _There's_ the confident skeleton you know and lo-

**Like.**

You know and like.

Sans seems to realize something, lowering you enough to meet your eyes. He appears to be a bit nervous, uncertainty crinkling the edges of his eyesockets.

"SO, IF I LIKE _YOU_ , AND YOU LIKE _ME_ , DOES THAT MEAN WE COULD....POSSIBLY....?"

His question tapers off, and you decide to help the poor guy. Besides, you have a few guesses as to what he's hinting at.

"...Go out?"

He perks up in an instant, grinning like a cat who caught the canary.

"WELL, SINCE YOU ASKED."

You snort, dropping your forehead onto his shoulder as his chest shakes with barely restrained laughter. He hugs you tighter, resting his chin on your head with a dopey smile. He feels a little silly, having never thought that you'd react positively to his slip-up.

He couldn't think of a happier accident.

\-------

 

It took a while, but you eventually convinced Sans to release you from his embrace long enough to go back downstairs. He offered to carry you, to which you politely declined.

Not down the stairs. Like, **ever.**

Dakota seemed to have settled back on the couch during your little talk. He looks over to you and Sans as you descend the last few steps, pointedly looking towards your intertwined hands. Your brother meets your eyes.

"Okay, something happened up there."

There's no question in his tone. Sans is still smiling like a dork, which probably isn't helping alleviate Dakota's suspicion. You shrug as you walk over, taking a seat on the cushions.

"Dunno what you're talking about."

The excitable skeleton tries and fails to hide a chortle behind his gloved hand as he sits in the spot right next to you.

"MWEH HEH HEH! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAS HAPPENED, NOTHING AT ALL!~"

Dakota raises an eyebrow as you lean against Sans. He's not nearly as bony as you'd expected, instead feeling more like a very sturdy cushion. You let out a sigh of contentment, quickly getting comfortable. Sans seems to get the idea, putting an arm around you to pull you closer. You glance over to your brother expectantly, holding out your other arm in invitation.

"Come on, dingus. You're getting in on this too, ain'tcha?"

He gives you a bit of a weird look, but you know he's considering it with the way he's trying to suppress a smile. After about a minute of staring, he gives in with a dramatic sigh, scooching in to lean against you. You huff out a laugh, wrapping your outstretched arm around him.

"Awwww, see? I knew ya love us."

Sans watches with an amused grin as your brother counters your teasing.

"Please go to sleep, sis. You're weird when you're sleepy."

You don't even argue, eyes already drooping as you rest your head against Sans' ribcage.

"Mkay....sounds good to me, broseph..."

The skeleton is only a little surprised by how quickly you slip under, breaths slowing to a lull as the abyss takes you to a promise of rest. His Soul quivers with joy, content to be this close to you as you doze; a significant sign of trust amongst monsters. Your brother doesn't seem to be faring much better, staring towards the tv screen absentmindedly. Soon enough, Dakota's head slumps against your slumbering form, surely having fallen victim to his own exhaustion from the day. Sans' gaze drifts back to you, affection swelling in his Soul as he lightly bumps his teeth to your head in a skele-kiss. 

His sockets drift shut, a content smile in place on his skull.

 

 

Upstairs, a lanky form leans against the banister with a lazy grin, an unlit cigarette pinched between his teeth. 

Watching over the domestic calm, he can't help but feel like this is home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of things can be cleared up by talking it out.
> 
> ...
> 
> Well....as long as they're willing to listen.


	16. Tardy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looking back, I realize that my execution of the last chapter was....bad. Like, **really** bad.
> 
> I'm gonna be trying something new with my writing style. I'm not sure if it's noticable, but I want to improve.

The scent of bitter coffee grounds permeated the kitchen air as steam slowly wafted over Papyrus’ skeletal face, a humid warmth brushing up his skull and into his tired sockets in a way that was almost comforting. Huffing out a deep breath, he trudges from linoleum to scraggly carpet, barely picking his feet up with each step into the living room. A well-used ceramic mug sits in his grasp, heat flowing from it to his boney palm until they reached a steady equilibrium. He raised the mug, clinking it to his teeth as he took a deliberately slowed sip. It wasn’t like the real stuff found in abundance on the surface, but the Underground’s substitute was fine enough. Staring over the pile of flesh and bone that lie dormant on the couch, Papyrus briefly wondered if he could even remember the last time his workaholic brother slept in past eight in the morning. Hm….nope.

Sans was out cold, slumped in a steep angle against the end of the couch with an arm loosely wrapped around your waist and his face buried in your hair. His ribcage rose with each slumbering inhale, lifting your head with it as you nestled yourself into the crook of his shoulder, finding some kind of comfort in the warmth of Sans’ blue scarf and obscuring most of your resting face. Dakota appeared to have shifted away sometime in the night, curled into the opposing end of the couch with a foot hanging off the edge.

Papyrus looked down at his wrist, where a strip of adhesive tape was haphazardly wrapped around his radius and ulna. A circle crudely drawn in orange marker stared back at him with ‘late’ written inside it. The lanky skeleton chuckled under his breath.

Hey, he’s gotta amuse himself _somehow._

Moving to stand by the end of the couch, he reached out to poke Sans’ browbone. It scrunches a bit in response, scandalized by the sudden, unwelcome disturbance. His arm tightens around your side, nuzzling his skull further against your head with a drawn out exhale. Papyrus makes a motion similar to rolling his eyes. He tries again, lightly tapping the crown of Sans’ head until he begins to rouse. His brother reluctantly untucked his face from the embrace of your soft hair, lifting a skeletal hand to tiredly rub at his eyesocket. Blue eyelights slowly flickered into existence, dulled and fuzzy around the edges as he looked up to Papyrus in groggy askance. 

“not that i’d complain about taking a day off, but m’pretty sure we’re supposed to be on patrol for humans.”

The statement didn’t seem to compute with the unusually placid skeleton, prompting Papyrus to raise a perplexed bonebrow. Sockets drifting closed, Sans let out a mumbled _‘Have My Human Right Here’_ as he snuggled back into your dozing form. The supposedly lazier of the skeleton brothers huffs out a breath of amusement. Looks like he’ll have to spell it out...

“bro, we’re late for work.”

Papyrus began to idly count down in his head. Three….Two…..One…..aaaaaand-

While the reaction was delayed, Sans made up for it by jerking up to a sitting position fast enough to nearly break the sound barrier.

“LATE??!?!”

The sheer volume of his exclamation paired with the sudden lurching movement appeared to wake you with a jolt, falling off the couch with a shocked yelp and a following ‘thud’. Dakota’s eyes shot open, his fingers clutching the couch like a lifeline as he struggled to control his startled wheezes. Your crumpled figure grumbled out a low groan from your new home on the floor. This catches Sans’ attention as his wide-eyed gaze swiftly turned to you, sockets crinkling in concern once he pushes himself off the cushions and kneels by your side. He worriedly checks you over, hands hovering just a few centimeters away in uncertainty.

“OHMYSTARS, I’M SO SORRY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

You brace your forearms against the carpet, pushing against it with a light huff to sit yourself upright. Jesus, what in Odin’s basement is this floor made of? You rub the sore spot on your head and attempt to smile reassuringly, but it comes off looking more like a strained grimace. 

“Yeah, I’m good.”

Sans doesn’t look very convinced. He reaches out, taking your hand and gently prying it away from the dull throb in your skull. His other hand lifts to brush aside a few stray hairs, unveiling a faint redness that starkly contrasts with the surrounding untouched skin. The initial contact sends a renewed sting through your senses, and you’re unable to stifle a slight flinch. Appraising the minor scuff, Sans considers using a pinch of healing magic to fix you up and ease the guilty twist in his Soul. In fact, he almost did; his right eyelight fading as the glow of his left strengthened. His phalanges emanated a faint green from within the confines of his gloves, but then he pauses, recalling the night when you neglected to replenish your HP. When he used his magic back then, your Soul had nearly latched onto it in an effort to reach out to his own. He was somewhat lucky he withdrew his magic when he did on that night; just a moment longer and your Soul would’ve likely pulled itself from your chest. 

He’d prefer if that didn’t happen right in front of his brother. Or yours. Avoiding both would be great.

Sans allows the emerald wisps curling around his phalanges to dissipate, his other eyelight returning as the intensity of his left one fades to its usual brightness. He really doesn’t like leaving the mark to heal on its own, but he doesn’t have much of a choice in these circumstances. He leans forward, leaving an apologetic nuzzle against your forehead. You let out a surprised, breathy chuckle as your smile blooms into something more genuine.

“Sans, I’m fine, really.”

From somewhere off to the side, Papyrus loudly clears his nonexistent throat, drawing the attention of you both to look towards the lanky skeleton. He points to his wrist like one would to a watch (is...is that tape?) with a raised bonebrow.

“hate to interrupt, but the boss’ll have our heads if we don’t get movin’.”

You glance over to Sans as his sockets widen. He quickly stands back up, an expression of urgency flashing across his features.

“WHAT TIME IS IT?”

Despite the anxiety practically rolling off his older brother in waves, Papyrus doesn’t seem too bothered as he offers a shrug.

“dunno, maybe around nine thirty or somethin’ like that-”

Papyrus barely finished his sentence before Sans sucked in a breath of horrified disbelief. Quicker than you could comprehend, he grabbed your hand and pulled you from the floor. Your startled squeak is swallowed as he presses his teeth to your lips. Pulling away before you could even reciprocate, he speaks in a rushed mess of jumbled words.

“IREALLYHAVETOGOSINCEIT’SALREADYSOLATEANDCAPTAINALPHYSGETSSUPERMADWHENEVERSHEHASTOWAITTOOLONGBUTWE’LLBOTHBEHOMEBEFOREYOUKNOWITA-AND….AND….”

Sans seems to catch himself in his barely comprehensible rambling, pausing to calm himself down, if only a bit. He takes a deep breath, gazing into your eyes with an intensity that didn’t seem to align with the usually-bubbly skeleton, but it certainly held your rapt attention. He gives your hand a light squeeze.

“JUST….BE SAFE, ALRIGHT?”

You stare at him for a moment, a rush of affection filling you as you offer a resolute nod.

“Of course we will. Promise.”

The intensity in his eyelights softens, the creases around his sockets visibly relaxing. Pacified, he lets go of your hand and swiftly crosses the room to the door. He slips on his boots, sending Papyrus a look as his gloved hands make a quick work of tying the criss-crossing laces.

“I SHALL GO AND CHECK IN WITH ALPHYS FOR THE MORNING REPORT. SHE WILL CERTAINLY BE UPSET WITH MY TARDINESS, BUT I SUPPOSE IT’S BETTER THAN NOT SHOWING UP AT ALL.”

He finishes tying his other boot, giving the laces a final tug until they’re properly tightened. Adjusting the scarf around his neck, Sans uses his free hand to sternly point to his younger brother.

“I EXPECT TO SEE YOU _AT YOUR STATION_ UPON MY RETURN TO SNOWDIN. THAT SHOULD BE IN PRECISELY AN HOUR! GOT IT?”

The lazy skeleton in question finishes off the last of his quick-brew drink, setting the empty mug to the side with a huff.

“yeah, yeah, i got it.”

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Papyrus looks over to Sans with something akin to warmth. It's a bit odd to see, considering that you've yet to witness anything other than his usual stoicism. He's not _expressionless_ , per se, but a lot of his interactions just seem so...dulled. 

“what would i ever do without you, bro?”

Sans responds without missing a beat, a faint smirk plastered on his skull.

“YOU'D LIKELY BE CONTENT IN SLEEPING THE DAY AWAY UNDER A TABLE AT MUFFET'S.”

Papyrus chuckles.

“yeah, you're probably right. like always.”

Sans turns towards the door, reaching out for the handle. Just as he twists it halfway, Paps calls out to him.

“hey, bro?”

Pausing, Sans turns back to the lazy skeleton with a bonebrow raised expectantly. Papyrus smiles, a soft upturn that makes every other grin you've seen from him look like hollowed out shells.

“just wanted to say….i love ya, man.”

Sans blinks, a bit surprised before a cheerful smile splits across his skull.

“I LOVE YOU TOO, BROTHER.”

And with those final words, he opens the door and takes off in a steady jog to wherever he needs to meet with this ‘Alphys’. The wooden door slowly swings shut, and it's only then that Papyrus turns to look at you.

“so….’his human’, huh?”

The question catches you off guard, your eyebrows scrunching in confusion that you don't even try to hide.

“What?”

He merely chuckles, apparently finding something funny about your clueless expression. You narrow your eyes, but he just waves you off.

“heh, nevermind. s'nothing important.”

The lanky skeleton glances over to Dakota, who had taken the initiative to wrap himself in a blanket burrito to combat the chilled air.

“you be good while we're out, kiddo. don't flood the place, kay?”

Your brother hides his growing smile behind the blanket, nodding with enthusiasm.

“I won't! But I gotta ask… _water_ we gonna do until you come back?”

You attempt (and fail) to hide your laugh with a groan of dismay. God, that was so **bad.**

Papyrus’ grin stretches.

“ _icy_ the problem here, but i have _snow_ doubt that you'll find something.”

The torment continues.

“ _Dew_ you really believe that? I don't know the _frost_ thing about entertaining myself.”

These two are either feeding into the growing fires of their pun rivalry, or they're setting each other up for these blatantly obvious jokes. You're not sure which is worse. Fighting desperately to suppress your growing smile from showing, you let out a pained grumble.

“Oh my God, aren't you supposed to be going to work? Pretty sure you said you were late.”

Like a true sadist, he can’t help but laugh at your misery, covering his mouth with a skeletal hand.

“nyeheheheheh. aw come on, are ya really gonna give me the _cold_ shoulder like that? i _thaw_ t we were finally getting along.”

His grin widens when you’re unable to completely restrain yourself, your strangled laughter coming out in bursts of hysterical wheezes. Your brother is long gone, reduced to a mere pile of giggles on the couch. Completely **done** with that smug look on his face, you point to the door as you manage to force the words out between your aggravated chuckles.

“Just _go_ , you bonehead!”

He raises his hands in mock surrender, meandering his way over to the door.

“a'right, fine. seems like my jokes really _ribbed_ you wrong, eh?”

“Go!”

\-------

 

Despite the tight thread of anxiety curling in his Soul, Sans’ breaths were paced perfectly in time with every pound of his boots against the solid Earth. His scarf billowed out behind him as he ran, but it never loosened from around his neck. The humid, moss-scented air was almost stifling in comparison with the ever-present chill of his home. He refused to let it slow him down.

_Shoot, shoot, shoot, he was so **late-**_

The run to Alphys’ felt longer this time. Maybe it was because of the strange glances he got from the occasional monster he crossed paths with, glances filled with such confusion that it made the skeleton that much more aware that he was a whole _three hours behind schedule._

He really hadn’t meant to sleep in for so long, stars knew he didn’t. Just the phrase sent an uncomfortable chill down his spine, its association with laziness being enough to repulse him. Things like this were so _unlike_ him, yet he couldn’t bring himself to entirely regret it. Being so close to you while in a vulnerable state- the pure **trust** you seemed to have in him- it had brought a calmness to Sans’ Soul that left him in a state of content bliss. He could’ve sworn he had felt his Soul purposely slow its upbeat chime, until it steadily attempted to match the buzzing hum your Soul always gave off when you were happy.

He briefly wondered what other melodies your violet heart could make.

At a point that somehow feels like both too soon and not soon enough, the ground starts looking noticeably different. The luminescent moss underfoot thinned out the further he ran, giving way to roasted dirt that the most gifted of gardeners couldn’t dream of salvaging. The air around him, while much less humid, steadily grew warmer and heavier, as if Hotland itself dared him to keep going. The lit sign that announced their whereabouts flickered by Sans’ vision as he dashed right past it. He didn’t need to pay it mind anyway. He’s seen it a thousand times before.

Up ahead, the familiar outline of a certain lizard’s home came into view. As he grew closer, he realized that there was someone in the front yard, wrapping their heavily built arms around a more generically shaped figure. They let out a roaring shout of fury, lifting the featureless figure off the ground and hefting it over their shoulder to slam it into the unyielding barrier of dirt and stone.

Oh, it looks like Alphys is suplexing the training dummy again.

….she’s definitely _**not happy.**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *blankly stares at kudos count*
> 
> ....three hundred..? What??? How???? Why??? Where'd you all even come from??????
> 
> Anyway, thanks so much for reading my amateur-ish pile of...something. I never thought this would get as much feedback as it does. It makes me really happy whenever I get to interact with you guys. In a strange way, I consider you all friends, even though we're faceless profiles from vastly different places and living vastly different lives. 
> 
> You are appreciated, you are loved, and you are worth every impossible roll of chance that brought you into this world. Please, don't forget that.


	17. Half-Truths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is _so late._
> 
> It was a pretty dumb move on my part to work on multiple chapters at once, but at least that means chapter 19 will be posted very soon after 18, as I've pretty much gotten it done already. 
> 
> ...Let's just say the content of it got really distracting.

_Tick_

The house was quiet without the skeleton brothers.

_Tick_

**Way** too quiet.

_Tick_

You’re sitting on the couch, or, well….hanging off it in sheer boredom as your hair cascades down against the floor, directing your gaze to the small hanging clock. There wasn’t really much to do in the cozy little house when it was just you and your brother. At some point, you had decided to help tidy up the place in any way you could think of. Straighten up the living room? Been there, done that in less than five minutes. Washing the dishes? Pfft, yeah, if you miraculously grew an extra five feet. Clean the bathroom? It was already spotless (surely having fallen prey to Sans’ determination to vanquish every germ.)

You considered cleaning the skelebros’ bedrooms, but quickly cast that idea aside. If there was one boundary you’d rather not cross, it was privacy. You know you’d be more than a little peeved if someone went through your things like a dog on the hunt.

You’ve already had more than your fair share of that.

What else could you even do? Glancing over to Dakota, it’s obvious that he isn’t really paying attention to the television, his gaze drifting over into nothing. Maybe...you could take him to explore the town? Now that you think about it, he hasn’t even _seen_ most of Snowdin yet. After the incident with that violent snowbird, Papyrus had taken all of you straight to the house, and he teleported home with Dakota right after meeting Undyne. The poor kid’s practically been cooped up in here.

But, then again...what if you two got attacked?

The thought sends an anxious twist through your gut, along with a blooming confusion. Nobody bothered you or Sans when he walked you home, apart from a young monster child that greeted him warmly before running off with their friends. It’s possible that they were just too young to know what a human looked like, but that didn’t explain why the other townsfolk left you alone. They could be giving you a false sense of security before deciding to hand you over to the Queen. To sacrifice both of your lives so the monsters can break the barrier.

_Sans and Papyrus are monsters too,_ a voice whispers. _Do you really believe **everyone** is out to get you? That every monster wants you dead?...You really are an idiot._

God, what’s wrong with you? One bad experience and you’re already generalizing the entire monster race, _including the ones who helped you._

...Weirdly enough, you realize that you hadn’t even thought of the skeleton brothers as monsters. Sans was just the kindhearted, awkwardly cute guy who’s already wormed his way into your heart. He’s shown attentiveness to both you and your brother in a way you thought was only possible amongst close family. And Papyrus was...well, a bit of a dick to be honest, but he has his moments. Besides, most of his screwing around is in good fun, and he’s clearly won Dakota’s favor already. 

If Sans and Papyrus are monsters, then they’ve changed the meaning of the word altogether.

Gaze hardening as you sit upright, you resolve that you’re not gonna wallow in fear of something that may not even happen. If something _does_ go wrong, you’ll go to any means necessary to protect your brother, and that’s that. You won’t keep him caged, you **refuse.**

Dakota snaps out of his daze with your sudden movement, looking over to you with a quizzical scrunch of his brows.

“Sis? You okay?”

The worried air in his tone doesn’t go unnoticed, and you make sure to release the tension from your expression. You offer a smile to reassure him that you weren’t shitting a brick.

“I’m fine, and I’ve got a great idea.”

He seems genuinely curious now, sitting up from his slouch.

“Really?”

You nod, an excited grin lighting your face

“Yeah! We’re gonna go explore the town, just you and me. How’s that sound, broseph?”

Your brother’s reaction is immediate, though it’s not the kind you were hoping for. The spark in his eyes drains away, his face drooping to a tentative frown. His gaze drops to the oversized sleeves of his borrowed hoodie as he nervously wrings the fabric between his fingers.

“I don’t know…”

His voice comes out quiet, doused into submission by his uncertainty. Blinking, you realize that Dakota might still be afraid of being hurt again, of you failing him. You feel a guilty prickling in your chest, but you try to push it down and offer a calm smile.

“I promise we’ll be fine.”

Despite your soft tone, he doesn’t look too convinced. Huffing, you lift your hand to draw a nonexistent X over your chest, the other raised by your head in solemn oath.

“Cross my heart and hope to die.”

He kind of just stares at you for a minute, face shifting to slight anxiousness.

“.....Please don’t actually die.”

The seriousness in his voice earns a snort from you, and he responds with a light glare. You wave off his worries, leaning over to playfully ruffle his hair.

“I won’t, ya goof.”

Dakota bats away your hand, trying in vain to straighten out his messy hair. He grumbles under his breath.

“Why do you guys always do that..”

You fail to suppress a light smirk, leaning against the back of the couch with one leg crossed over the other.

“Cuz you’re fun to tease, baby bro. Plus, it’s my job as a responsible sibling.”

He raises an eyebrow, but the small smile on his face gives away his amusement. Looks like you’ve successfully taken his mind off his fears. For now, at least.

“If it’s ‘your job’, then who hired you?”

You offer a grin, lifting your hands in a helpless shrug.

“Pfft, hell if I know. Cthulhu, maybe?”

You jump to your feet, zipping up your hooded jacket as you walk over to the door and looking back towards you perplexed brother. You release a dramatic sigh, beckoning him to hurry up.

“Come on, bro! We’re burning daylight here!”

Dakota scrunches his brows, but he stands up nonetheless and crosses the room to put on his tattered shoes, glancing up to you curiously as he ties the laces.

“How can we burn daylight if it never gets dark?”

Huh….he has a bit of a point. Letting out a sigh, you reach out to open the door, a small burst of chilled air sending a shiver through your form. You’re gonna make sure your brother has an adventure today, weird Underground logic be damned.

“It’s best if you don’t question it.”

Relenting, Dakota brushes past your arm to step out onto the porch.

“Fine…”

Giving a mental cheer of victory, you chuckle and follow him outside, making sure to close the door behind you. You glance over to Dakota, who’s staring over the snow-blanketed ground in silent awe. Looking back to the surrounding winter scene, a small smile takes place in your expression as you watch the sparkling white snowflakes flutter from somewhere above. You give your arms a satisfying stretch, taking in a deep inhale of the pleasantly cold breeze. God, you may have needed this more than you thought. Just being outside slowly drains the tension from your shoulders.

“See? Isn’t it great to get some fresh air?”

Dakota snaps out of his daze, casting you a glance as he stuffs his hands into the large pockets of his borrowed hoodie. He shrugs a bit, tucking his chin into the red fabric.

“Kinda, but it’s still really cold.”

You move forward to step off the porch, reassuringly patting your brother’s shoulder as you pass.

“I promise we won’t be in the snow for long.”

You start walking towards the center of town, and the crunching footsteps that rush to catch up alert you that Dakota’s following. He puffs a little when he catches up to walk right alongside you. Smiling to yourself, you offer him your hand, which he soon takes. Whether it’s for comfort or just to leech your body heat, you’re not sure. Maybe both.

You make sure to keep your gaze on monsters who pass you by, though most of them don’t pay you any mind. Eventually, your sight lands on a bear-like monster, who manages to place the small gift in their paws under a decorated tree with utmost care. As if feeling your eyes on them, they turn their head towards you and Dakota. It isn’t until they offer a bright smile and wave to you both that you release the pent up tension in your form, returning a smile of your own. Your brother uses his free arm to wave back, but the red sleeve of his hoodie just ends up flapping like a bird’s wing with the movement. Smile softening, the bear happily goes back to organizing gifts under the tree.

Dakota huffs, rubbing the tip of his nose as the cold nips at it. He glances over his shoulder at the bear again, eyeing the soft-looking tufts of fur that shielded their face with mild envy.

“Wish I had fur..”

The mental image of your brother as a mini Chewbacca earns a snort from you.

“You sure about that?”

You look over to him, trying and failing to suppress a shit-eating grin.

“Cuz I think _hair_ would be a few cons to that. Imagine all the peanut butter that'd get stuck to your face.”

Dakota rolls his eyes, but there's a small traitorous smile creeping its way to his expression.

“I don't even eat peanut butter that much anymore.”

You hum to yourself, reminiscing on memories of a somehow smaller Dakota, back when he would happily slather the creamy substance over whatever was on his plate (or in his bowl on a few occasions.) Then again, it seemed to be the only way to get him to eat at all back when you all lived with your dad. Just goes to show how much your baby bro has grown since then.

“You used to eat it all the time..”

A particular memory comes to mind, and you reflexively scrunch your nose, glancing over to him with disbelief.

“But dude, seriously? Did you really have to put it on your hot dogs?”

He gives you a strange look, as if you’re the crazy one.

“What’s wrong with that? Elvis liked it.”

Huffing out a small laugh, you squeeze his hand, leading him further down the main path of Snowdin. 

“Whatever you say, broseph.”

As you two continued, your brother seemed to become less wary of the townsfolk, waving silent greetings to just about everyone you passed, including a yellow-scaled monster child. Though, when they turned towards Dakota, revealing their lack of arms, the poor kid looked like he wanted to curl in on himself and disappear into the ground. Before he could do so, the child offered a toothy smile, wildly flapping their tail to wave back. 

You try and fail to restrain you laughter by covering your mouth with your free hand, the visible relief on your brother's face being just a little too funny. Dakota glares at you, but his attention is soon drawn to a particular building. You stop walking, looking down to him as he points.

“How about the library?”

Your eyes follow his outstretched arm to the library in question, staring intently at the hanging wooden sign and rereading it multiple times. However, the word written in bold letters doesn't change, implying that you are not, in fact, having a stroke.

“..Bro, that’s not a library. It’s a librarby.”

Dakota turns to you, scrunching his eyebrows with a relatively unamused look. He clearly thinks you're pulling his leg, so you make a vague motion towards the wooden structure to prove your point.

“What? It’s on the sign!”

It still doesn't look like he believes you, turning back to read the sign again.

“Are you sure-”

Dakota pauses mid-sentence, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly, as if it would make the writing clearer. Realizing his mistake, he utters a single word under his breath.

“...Oh.”

You smile, letting go of his hand to go over and hold the door open.

“Must you always doubt me, little brother?”

He huffs and walks through the doorway, grumbling something you can't quite hear as he passes you. You follow him inside, gently closing the door behind you to avoid making any unnecessary noise. Looking around, there doesn't appear to be many townsfolk in here. There's someone standing behind a small desk to the side, probably the librarian. Though you can't see their eyes behind the glasses, a slight tilt of their angular, green-scaled head tips you off that they're trying to get a read on the newcomers in their establishment. 

You become more nervous the longer they stare. Do they know…? There's only two other monsters in here, sitting at a table and quietly chatting, but you're not sure if you want to find out how long you'd last against three at once.

Dakota heads over to look at the display of children's fiction, and you offer the librarian a timid smile. They simply respond with a polite nod before going back to their paperwork. Breathing a sigh of relief, you go to follow your little brother. You find him browsing through an array of books, some newer-looking than others. Tapping his shoulder to get his attention, he turns to you as you whisper quiet enough so only he can hear.

“I’m gonna check out what informational books they’ve got here. If you need anything at all, I’ll be right over there. Got it?”

Your brother hesitates for a second, taking a deep breath before nodding.

“Yeah, okay.”

Satisfied with his confirmation, you give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before wandering around to the other side of the bookshelf. Your gaze moves from row to row, filled to the brim with books of varying thickness and height that still managed to fit just right in the limited space there was. Steadily making your way down the aisle, you quickly glance at each spine for the titles, though most of them are either too worn out to be legible, or appear to have water damage. You lightly frown, disheartened to see them in such a state. 

It makes sense that a race with a smaller population than that of humans would be less varied in literature than what you were used to, but these people have been Underground for at least a few hundred years, right? You assume so, considering that monsters only exist in fairytales and legends on the surface.

A bright shade of color flashes past your vision, and you snap your gaze back to the row of books you had nearly passed. A small collection of royal blue book covers stare back at you, organized neatly side by side in order of increasing length. Curious, you carefully pull the first book from its wedge, flipping it over to read the title. 

‘Intro To Souls: Volume I’ is neatly handwritten in dark orange across the front with thin stripes of white outlining the letters, contrasting with the cover in a unique, yet admittedly strange way. Turning the spine upwards, you squint in an attempt to make out the faded author name.

**‘W….as..er’**

...Well, so much for that.

You flip through the first few pages of the book, skimming its contents. A lot of it seems to explain the few things you already know, but it’s almost like the author had a thesaurus on hand at all times with how many overly complicated words they use throughout the entries. Your rapid page-flipping stutters when your attention is grabbed by a spectrum of colors. On the left page is a chart of seven cartoonish hearts, each sporting their own shade of the rainbow.

Human Souls…

You read the text below the chart.

‘At the core of every operative being is a Soul. Many similarities and differences exist between separate lineage of species, though none other matches the strength possessed by a human Soul. Through trial and error, I have discovered what gives such strength to a species that cannot harness it to its full potential without aid; a physical substance dubbed **DT.** ’

Your gaze drifts to the page on the right, on which is another chart, though much smaller with only two inverted white hearts. The only difference you notice is that one looks bigger, and perhaps a little bulkier than its counterpart.

‘ **DT** has been found to exist in monster Souls as well, but in trace amounts compared to the concentration found in humans, explaining their lack of observable color. Amongst these Souls, one belonging to what’s known as a Boss Monster are hypothesized to contain more **DT** than a standard monster, as their Souls persist longer after death and have a much higher magic capacity.’

Woah.

You blink, trying to process the new information. Obviously monster and human Souls were different, considering the specific need for harvested human Souls to break the barrier, but you hadn’t imagined they’d be such polar opposites. Looking back to the left page, your attention is drawn to the green and purple hearts. The green matches up to the brightness of Dakota’s Soul near perfectly, but the purple one….not as much. Compared to your own, it appears more vibrant and bright than the violet Soul you’ve come to associate as yours.

...Maybe it has something to do with DT? From what you’ve read, it seems to play a big role in what makes up a human Soul. 

Now that you think about it, if DT is a physical mass that makes up so much of a human Soul, then….would it be possible to create one?

Your gaze hardens, a spark of determination igniting within you. You close the book, picking out a few more similar-looking ones from the shelf and stacking them on top of the first. When you go to grab the last one, you pause, seeing ‘Core Guide And Restoration’ written across the front. You choose to put that one back in its place; what you've got should be enough.

Looking over to the table, it seems like the pair of monsters are wrapping up whatever conversation they were having, gathering their things and standing up. One of them glances at your cyan bandanna, a look of mild surprise on their cat-like face. They turn to their companion and whisper something in their ear. They both turn to glance at you again, hiding amused snickers as they walk out the front door.

….huh.

You brush off the strange interaction, going up to the now empty table and setting down your collection of books. You shuffle through them, pulling out the one you'd been reading earlier. Dakota comes over with a book of his own, sitting down next to you as you find the page on which you'd left off.

You've got some research to do.

\-------

 

Stars, this was such a horrible idea.

Sans has spent the past few minutes lurking outside Alphys’ range of sight, weighing the pros and cons of facing the pissed off dinosaur. On one hand, showing up later would probably yield even worse consequences. On the other….

Oh, who is he kidding? There's no way around this.

Plastering on a nervous smile, he makes his approach, ensuring that his steps are audible enough to prevent a repeat of the last time he tried sneaking up on Alphys to impress her. 

His rib still hurts every now and then.

Sans stops at a good few feet away, wringing his hands as his mentor/boss continues throwing punches at the training dummy. He clears his throat.

“G-GOOD MORNING, CAPTAIN ALPHYS.”

The enraged lizard monster whirls around with narrowed eyes, her mouth pulling back into a sneer.

“You!”

She stomps forward, her scaled arm shooting out to grab Sans by the scarf and pull him to eye-level.

“Where the hell were you, dweeb?! You were supposed to be here three hours ago!”

Sans breaks into a nervous sweat, blue eyelights pointedly glancing away from her furious gaze. 

“AH. RIGHT….UM….”

Shoot, what was he supposed to say? If he tells the truth, then he’ll be putting you and your brother on Alphys’ radar, but...he doesn’t want to lie either, especially to his best friend of all people. He begins to panic a little, scrambling for an answer when Alphys’ expectant gaze becomes unbearable. Come on, think of something, anything! 

“WELL, YOU SEE, I’VE BEEN….TRAINING! A-A LOT MORE THAN I USUALLY DO! MWEH HEH..”

Wincing, Sans internally curses himself for stuttering. _Technically_ it’s not a lie, but he has to keep rolling with it to evade suspicion. He finds his voice again.

“IN FACT, I’VE TAKEN TO NIGHTLY RUNS! BUT I SUPPOSE IT LEFT ME IN NEED OF MORE REST THAN WHAT I AM ACCUSTOMED TO.”

He actually feels a bit of pride in his composure, and Alphys’ gaze eases ever so slightly. She lets out a small groan, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her snout as she lets go of his scarf.

“Fine! Whatever! Just don’t let it happen again.”

Sans nods with certainty. If he never feels that pure terror from this morning again, it'll be too soon.

“I PROMISE THAT IT WON’T.”

Her previous sneer lessens into more of a wry smirk, chuckling.

“Good, otherwise I’d have to kick your ass. Like a good bestie!”

The sharp-toothed smile Alphys wears holds a bit of a teasing lilt, though Sans knows she isn't entirely kidding.

“R-RIGHT. SO, SHOULD WE BEGIN?”

Alphys scoffs, an eager smirk lifting the corner of her mouth.

“Well, yeah!”

The buzzing hum of potent magic rumbles within the makeshift arena. Alphys raises her arm, yellow sparks dancing up to her wrist before solidifying into a large, golden battle axe. The end of the long handle is slammed into the ground in an impressive display of power, the axe’s glow glinting against sharp teeth. Alphys’ eyes narrow, the scar tissue across her marred eye pulled taut.

“Make no mistake, Sans. I ain’t gonna go easy on you for getting sleepy!”

The skeleton masks any residual nerves with a challenging grin, cyan magic sparking to life in his left eyesocket as he summons two bones before him. He catches them midair, fitting perfectly into the grooves of each gloved hand. He widens his stance, preparing to be on the defense.

“I’D BE DISAPPOINTED IF YOU DID.”

They both hold their ground, waiting for the other to make a move for what feels like ages, but it couldn't have been any longer than a minute. The moment Alphys blinks her good eye, Sans lunges forward, bones raised and poised to strike. She darts to the side, just barely missing the edge of his bone weapon. 

She spins her golden axe so that the blade faces away from Sans, using the momentum of her dodge to jab him in his side with the end of the handle. Sucking in a shocked breath, Sans stumbles, nearly tripping over his own feet. He curses under his breath, and Alphys shouts in frustration.

“Expect the unexpected, dweeb! We’ve been over this!”

Alphys clasps the handle of her axe with both hands, concentration in her features as it distorts into a mass of sparking magic. She separates her hands, the mass following her movements as it splits into two crackling balls of energy. They solidify into smaller axes just as she launches herself forward.

Sans’ eyesockets widen, swinging up his bone clubs just in time to clash against Alphys’ magic-formed weapons. She growls, pressing forward with her body weight in an attempt to throw him off balance.

“Slackers don’t become Royal Guards! You gotta earn it!”

His socket flares brighter, pushing back with just as much force, their weapons shaking under the effort of their wielders.

“I _WILL_ EARN IT!”

Alphys smirks.

“Oh really?”

Golden magic fizzles from existence as she moves aside, and Sans yelps as he's thrown forward by the sudden shift, practically falling face first into the heat-dried dirt. Before he could process what happened, Alphys sets her booted foot on his back in triumph, looking down at her friend in mild disappointment.

“Because I think you just lost.”

He says nothing. Thoroughly weirded out by his un-Sans-like behavior, Alphys squints down towards him.

“....Sans, what’s going on with you? You never get creamed this fast.”

She feels him jolt a bit under her foot, answering much more eagerly this time.

“NOTHING’S GOING ON!”

_Bull. Shit,_ she thinks to herself. Up until this point, Sans had actually been doing really well with the training. He'd learned to dodge particular movements that had previously confounded him, steadily lasting a bit longer in each of their sparring matches.

But this? ...It’s like he's back to square one.

She narrows her gaze.

“You’re distracted.”

Moments pass, and he's silent once more. She huffs, taking her foot off his back.

“Thought so…”

Alphys goes over to sit next to Sans as he pushes himself off the ground. She tentatively raises a hand, hesitating for a brief second before resting it on his shoulder. She's not usually one for sappy crap, but she can't help the twist of worry in her gut.

“Come on, what’s on your mind? You know you can talk to your bestie, ya dork.”

Sans lets out a long sigh, looking over to her with a sad smile.

“I REALLY CAN’T, ALPHYS.”

If she hadn't been staring directly at him, she probably wouldn't have noticed the slight dimming of his eyelights as he glances away.

“TRUST ME….I WISH I COULD.”

Alphys’ mouth pulls into a frown, a hundred different possibilities running through her head. Sans is usually a very open monster, so it's possible that someone hurt him, unknowingly or not.

Stars fucking forbid if anyone took advantage of his kindness.

“...Papyrus hasn’t been a jerk, has he?”

Alphys cracks her knuckles, a menacing smile creeping onto her snout.

“Don’t worry, I can kick his ass for you!”

Sans blinks in surprise, an uneasy chuckle tumbling from him. He shakes his head.

“NO, NO, IT’S NOT THAT. IT’S JUST….”

He pauses mid-thought, letting it hang in the air as his gaze drifts to the stone ceiling above.

“...DO YOU THINK WE’LL EVER REACH THE SURFACE…?”

Alphys looks at her friend in disbelief, slapping on a confident grin as she determinedly raises her fists up by her metal chestplate.

“Well of course I do! That’s what we’re workin’ towards, ain’t it?”

She chuckles, but Sans doesn't seem to find much humor in her words. Her grin falters under the tension, awkwardly clearing her throat before returning her concerned gaze to the downtrodden skeleton.

“What uh, what brought this on..?”

“ALPHYS…”

Sans forlorn stare finally parts from the unyielding stone above, dropping to gaze downwards as he clutches at the fabric over his sternum.

“MY SOUL IS RESONATING.”

Alphys’ good eye widens as her friend continues, grasping tighter at his shirt with a faint smile.

“I’VE MET MY OTHER HALF, AND SHE….SHE REALLY IS INCREDIBLE.”

She waits for him to elaborate further, groaning loudly when he doesn't and leaning over to put her exasperated expression directly into his line of sight.

“Aw come on, man! Don’t play the pronoun game with me. Who is she?!”

The corner of his mouth twitches as he nervously glances away.

“NO OFFENSE, BUT IT’S BETTER IF I DON’T.”

She narrows her eyes.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sans looks back to Alphys with a skeptically raised bonebrow.

“YOU ONCE TRIED TO BITE SANTA BECAUSE HE ‘WASN’T COOL ENOUGH TO BE MY FRIEND’.”

“Hey! We were kids, so that doesn’t count!”

He chuckles at her defensive outburst. When he doesn't relent, Alphys rolls her good eye.

“Fine. Can you at least tell me what she’s like?”

At first, Sans is hesitant. But maybe….maybe if he's careful about his words, then she won't be able to piece together that you're human. As far as she knows, he's just met a new monster. After all, Resonation between a monster and a human is unheard of. 

His mind goes back to the wishing room; how you gazed as if the crystals were the single most beautiful thing you'd ever seen, _stars_ , and when you'd turned and looked at _him_ like that, promising him the starry night sky….he can already feel the dopey smile stretching across his skull. He sighs.

“WELL...SHE YEARNS FOR THE SURFACE JUST AS WE DO, FOR BOTH HERSELF AND HER LITTLE BROTHER.”

Another passing memory resurfaces. After Sans had kissed you, he was certain that he'd screwed everything up, that you'd leave. He wouldn't have blamed you if you did. Who wants to be around a monster without self-control..?

But...you did. You stayed, and you sought him out to make things right. You spoke with such sympathy and understanding, as if you were made for consoling others. He could've sworn he felt your Soul try reaching out to him from behind that door, emanating a soothing hum as it tried calming his own Soul.

“SHE ONLY SEEMS TO HAVE GOOD WILL TOWARDS OTHERS, AN UNYIELDING KINDNESS THAT PROVES ANYBODY COULD BE A BETTER PERSON IF THEY JUST TRY. SHE’S SWEET, AND SOFT, AND…”

Realizing that he’s started rambling again, Sans breathes out a dreamy sigh, chuckling to himself in disbelief. The way you’ve been invading his thoughts could only be described as madness. He doesn’t know what he’d do if you left, or if something bad happened. He’s always been one to look on the bright side of things, but you give that brightness a new glow; gentle and content, so long as the people around you are happy. You even manage to make Papyrus’ worst puns more bearable, if only because it meant he got to hear your bubbling giggles, or that little snort you make when you try too hard not to laugh. 

Sans’ Soul sinks uncomfortably in his chest, already craving your presence. His sockets drift shut, and the pang dulls when he envisions your smile as imaginary you playfully bickers with Dakota and his brother. Sighing, he murmurs more to himself than the reptilian warrior next to him.

“...STARS, THAT LAUGH...I COULD LISTEN TO IT FOREVER..”

There's a brief minute of unbroken silence as Alphys allows the confession to sink in. When he'd first spoken of ‘his other half,’ she was more than a little skeptical, preparing herself to hear about Sans’ optimistic spin on different ways you'd taken advantage of him. But..she doesn't have much to work with here.

“Jeez…”

A light smirk curls her lips as she gives her friend a side glance. Sans looks at her strangely as he tries to figure out what's going on in her mind, but he doesn't have to wonder for long as she traps him in a headlock, rubbing her knuckles into the crown of his skull with a booming cackle.

“You’re really in deep, huh dweeb?”

Sans tries in vain to escape Alphys’ tight hold, a strangled sound escaping his nonexistent throat.

“MWEH! PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!”

She laughs again, letting go of her bestie when she feels he's had enough. Sans scoots away, suppressing a grin as he rubs the sore spot on his skull.

“Don’t worry, she sounds great in my book.”

Alphys suddenly looks much more serious, her good eye narrowing.

“..But if she hurts you, I’m gonna legit fight a bitch. Just a warning.”

Sans huffs, lightly rolling his eyelights, but the gesture is heartwarming nonetheless.

“THAT WON’T BE NECESSARY. THANKS THOUGH, FOR ALWAYS HAVING MY BACK.”

Alphys offers a kind tilt of the mouth, an expression not usually associated with someone like her, but small moments like these aren't unheard of.

“What else are friends for?”

She rises to a stand, grunting under the weight of her armor. Looking Sans in the eye, she places a clawed hand over her chestplate.

“As your bestie, I swear that we’ll get out of this hellhole.”

Alphys goes over and picks up her discarded helmet from the ground, brushing it off just before fitting it over her scaled head. Turning away from Sans, she begins her trek of Hotland. As she walks away, the reptilian warrior mutters to herself, words filled equally with venomous hatred and burning determination.

“Just one more human Soul, and we’ll all be free.”

His Soul drops.

\-------

 

Everything went by in a blur of muffled sounds and movement. After Alphys had gone on patrol, Sans couldn't help the new worry blooming in his ribcage. What if he wasn't vague enough? What if she already knew?

...what if someone else found you?

He needed to check on you and Dakota. Just to be safe.

Between the building panic and Sans’ knowledge of most shortcuts in the Underground, it didn't take long for his pumping legs to carry him back to Snowdin. He makes a beeline to the house, pausing on the front porch to catch his breath. He lets out a deep sigh as he reaches for the handle. He's probably being ridiculous, surely you and your brother haven't had any trouble taking care of yourselves for a few-

His Soul stutters as the handle twists without resistance. That's...weird, to say the least. Papyrus always locks the door when he leaves, but...maybe he forgot?

Sans pushes the door open, crossing through the doorway as he glances around, expecting to see Dakota on the couch, or you looking up from whatever you were doing to greet him with that beautiful smile of yours. Instead, the living room is empty and devoid of life, save for Papyrus’ pet rock. 

“HELLO?”

Shoving aside his mounting dread, Sans convinces himself that you two must be around here somewhere. He crosses the living room, poking his skull into the unlit kitchen.

“...DAKOTA? (Y/N)?”

Just as the switched off light implies, there's no one in sight. No matter how hard he concentrates, he can't hear anyone upstairs either.

Freezing in place, he turns his skull to look back by the front door. Both pairs of shoes that sat there this morning were gone. His eyesockets widen as he whispers under his breath.

“OH NO…”

Fear grips him, and he rushes out the front door, not bothering to close it behind him as he frantically scans the surrounding area. Oh no, no no no, you can't be gone! You have to be around here somewhere, he just knows it! He cups his gloved hands around his mouth and shouts into the winter air.

“(Y/N)! DAKOTA! WHERE ARE YOU?!”

The howling breeze is his only answer. Soul buzzing, Sans takes off into the snow, observing anything and everything for clues of your whereabouts. There's no footprints leading from the house except his own, easily explained by Snowdin's constant snowfall. If he's gonna find where you and Dakota are, he's gonna need to figure out some other way.

His gaze lands on Scarf Mouse as they watch the twinkling lights of the Gyftmas tree, a bear monster crouched just next to them. Truth be told, he doesn't know the mouse's actual name, but it's as good of a start as any. He approaches the timid mouse, smiling kindly as they spare him a confused glance.

“EXCUSE ME, HAVE YOU SEEN TWO FRIENDS OF MINE PASS THROUGH HERE? THEY LOOK SORT OF LIKE ME, BUT MORE FLESHY.”

The poor thing shrinks into their scarf, squeaking in uncertainty.

“Um, I’m not sure…”

Greg, the local bear monster, looks up from their task at hand, piping up with recognition.

“Oh! Do you mean the furless folk who were freezing their hydes off earlier?”

Sans Soul lights with a spark of hope as Greg points over his shoulder towards downtown.

“They headed somewhere in that direction not too long ago.”

Sans breathes a sigh of relief, smiling more genuinely.

“THANK YOU SO MUCH!”

Sans breaks into a sprint, eyelights frantically darting from person to person, hoping that one would be you or your brother. The uncomfortable tug on his Soul steadily lessens, indicating that he must be getting closer. Just as he passes the library with the misspelled sign, the pull on his Soul tightens again. He abruptly forces his legs to a halt, gaze snapping towards the building’s front window.

There you two are, sitting at a table with books in hand. Dakota idly flips to the next page, taking in the story at his own pace. However, you practically have your nose buried in your book, clearly invested in whatever it was about, a large stack of books sitting right beside you. His shoulders visibly sag in relief to see you both unharmed, and he marches forward to reach for the handle, practically throwing it open upon his entrance.

“THERE YOU ARE!”

You and Dakota look up at his outburst, two sets of wide eyes gazing in his direction. Dakota’s expression soon shifts into an ecstatic grin, while you just look confused.

“Sans?”

“Mister Sans!”

A loud shushing interrupts the moment, and you look over towards the librarian, who motions for you all to keep it down. You offer an apologetic grimace, looking back to Sans as he walks up to the table. You set down your book right as he wraps one arm around you and the other around Dakota, pulling you both into a sudden embrace. Returning the hug as best as you can, you glance up to him curiously.

“Not that I'm not happy to see you, but I thought you were at work?”

Sans tilts his skull, nuzzling his teeth against the softness of your hair as he takes a deep, calming breath, still a bit frazzled from assuming the worst. His Soul’s anxious buzzing begins to slow, finally content now that it’s closer to yours. Realizing his tight grip, he loosens his hold enough to meet your eyes with his creased eyesockets.

“I DROPPED BY THE HOUSE TO CHECK ON YOU, BUT YOU WERE BOTH GONE! I WAS WORRIED SICK!”

You blink, recalling your rush to get out and about with your brother. No warning, no note, or anything to imply you were coming back. You wince, reaching up to sheepishly rub the back of your neck.

“Ah jeez. Sorry about that, Sugarskull.”

You nod towards Dakota with an apologetic smile.

“Y’see, I wanted to properly explore Snowdin with Dakota. Show him around a bit.”

Sans’ eyelights move from you to your brother, who nods in confirmation. His gaze softens as he looks back to you.

“...I SUPPOSE YOUR HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE, BUT YOU COULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL PAPYRUS OR MYSELF CAME BACK TO ACCOMPANY YOU.”

That one struck a bit of a nerve, your jaw tensing at the thought of being under constant surveillance. You turn your gaze enough away so that the involuntary coldness in your eyes won't be directed at him. _It's not his fault_ , you remind yourself.

“I’ve learned from my mistake, Sans. I’m not gonna let us get hurt again, and I’m not defenseless.”

You startle a bit when phalanges tilt your head back to meet Sans’ eyelights, soft and full of understanding.

“AND I’M NOT SAYING YOU ARE.”

His warm smile falters slightly, recalling the crushing dread he’d felt in his Soul when he was desperately searching for you and your brother. He sighs out a breath through his nasal cavity.

“I JUST...I WANT TO KNOW THAT YOU’RE SAFE. IT’S DANGEROUS IN THE UNDERGROUND FOR HU-”

He pauses, eyelights nervously darting to the librarian. Luckily, it didn't seem like they were paying attention to his near slip-up. They glance up from their scribbling, raising a scaled brow when they catch Sans staring in their direction.

“UH…”

Sans clears his nonexistent throat, looking back to you as he corrects himself.

“FOR PEOPLE OF YOUR CONDITION.”

Sighing, you relent. It wasn't fair of you to leave the house without warning, mostly for the sake of Sans’ apparent anxiety when it comes to possible harm. This is just his way of showing he cares.

“...You’re right. Even though I think it’s safe enough to walk around town, I should’ve at least left a note or something. I’m sorry I made you worry.”

Chuckling a bit at your stubbornness, Sans lovingly pecks your forehead, smile widening when your cheeks flush.

“IT’S QUITE ALRIGHT.”

He glances over at the library's hanging clock, deflating when he sees the time. Ah, shoot, he was supposed to be out to check on Papyrus a few minutes ago. Though...it wouldn't hurt anything if he made sure you two got back safe, right? He reasons that his brother wouldn't mind waiting a little longer as he looks back to you questioningly.

“WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO WALK YOU BACK BEFORE I HEAD TO PATROL?”

Dakota pipes up from next to you, clutching his book to his chest.

“Yes please!”

You look over to him in surprise.

“Really? You don’t want to stick around a bit?”

Your brother shrugs, and it's then you realize just how _tired_ he looks, reminding you of yourself after pulling an all-nighter, small lines creasing under his eyes with an overall groggy demeanor.

“No offense sis, but...I’m all adventured out for now.”

Offering a sympathetic smile, you release a drawn out breath.

“Alright, bro.”

Turning back to the table, you assemble the collection of books into a neat stack and heft them into your arms. As you move to head over to the shelf you'd grabbed them from, the librarian grabs your attention. They nod towards the front door, wordlessly saying you can bring them back later. You blink in surprise before giving them a grateful smile, returning your gaze to Sans with your books in grasp.

“Guess we’re going home. Lead the way, Sugarskull.”

Sans freezes as the word falls from your lips. _Home._ Did that mean….you consider it **your** home? He might be reading way too far into this, but his Soul couldn't care less, swelling with happiness at the possibility.

_He wants nothing more than a home with you…_

Pulling himself from his thoughts, he realizes you're looking at him expectantly, and with a bit of concern. He chuckles nervously, heading to the front door and holding it open.

“R-RIGHT. OF COURSE!”

Dakota heads through first, you following right after as you try not to drop any of the books. They'd probably get ruined by the snow, and you'd rather not lose the valuable research material. Sans lets go of the door, allowing it to close on its own as he rushes to catch up, soon falling into a steady stroll next to you and your brother. 

Squinting in thought, you're struck with the reality that whether or not you memorize every entry in the collection, you're going to need help implementing your plan….if it'll even work, that is.

“Hey, Sans?”

Aforementioned skeleton glances over to you, bonebrows raised to show he's listening.

“Do you think I could see Undyne sometime soon? There’s something I need to talk to her about.”

It isn't long before Sans slaps on an easy grin, all too willing to help out however he can.

“SURE, I CAN CALL HER LATER FOR YOU.”

As you all continue crunching through the snow, Sans finds himself squinting as he tries to piece together what you'd need to talk to the Royal Scientist about. Were you ill again? Did you just want to befriend her?

After a full minute of spitballing possibilities and theories, Sans realizes that he could just ask you. You're pretty open about most things, so it's not like he has to pry the answer from various cues like with Papyrus. He risks glancing over to you again.

“WHAT FOR?”

Your hold on the stack of books in your arms tightens ever so slightly, your eyes staring intently at the strangely formatted covers.

“...I’m gonna need her help with something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukah, a Happy Kwanzaa, or whichever day you celebrate. Just make sure to spend it with the good people in your life.
> 
> ...welp, back to panic-writing those five editorials i need to turn in  
> ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ


End file.
